FG Targets Livestock Value Chain Reforms to Cut Transportation Losses

News in Brief:

— Nigeria is pushing to establish processing hubs closer to production centres to reduce losses associated with transporting live animals over distances of up to 1,200 kilometres.

— Livestock Minister Idi Mukhtar Maiha said the shift could create opportunities in meat processing, dairy, leather manufacturing and other businesses across the value chain.

Nigeria's Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said the country could no longer sustain a system in which animals travel up to 1,200 kilometres to reach major consumption centres such as Abuja and Lagos.

Speaking at the 2026 Animal Science Meeting in Abuja, Maiha called for a shift towards modern livestock production, processing and marketing systems, with animals processed closer to production centres and finished products transported to consumers.

Reducing Losses through Local Processing

Maiha said transporting live animals over long distances causes avoidable losses, raises animal welfare concerns and scatters by-products that could generate additional income.

“You cannot aggregate the blood. You cannot aggregate the solid waste, the bones, the hooves. All these are scattered all over the place,” he said.

Maiha warned that Nigeria was losing opportunities in meat processing, dairy production, leather manufacturing and related industries by failing to develop an integrated livestock system. He revealed that the ministry had begun consultations with producers and other stakeholders, announcing two projects in Plateau and Edo states.

Scientists Urged to Drive Innovation

The minister urged animal scientists to translate research into practical solutions to challenges including high feed costs, low productivity, disease outbreaks, limited access to improved breeds and inadequate processing facilities.

President of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, Simeon A. Ohwofa, said innovation in animal agriculture could strengthen the country's non-oil economy by connecting farmers, processors, manufacturers and exporters.

National President of the Animal Science Association of Nigeria, Dr Raymond Isiadinso, also called for greater use of data science and artificial intelligence to improve livestock nutrition, animal health and productivity.