Livestock Ministry, Science Experts Hold Meeting on Climate Finance Proposals

News in brief:

-Livestock ministry and science experts convene for climate finance ideation meeting.

-The forum focuses on bankable, Nigeria-led climate adaptation proposals as they emphasise ownership, sustainability, and inclusive financing.

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) held an ideation meeting aimed at strengthening climate adaptation and financing proposals for Nigeria’s livestock sector.

The session, organised for members of the Technical Working Group on Climate Change in the livestock sector, took place on Wednesday, 14 January 2026. It brought together officials of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development alongside representatives of the German Agency for International Cooperation, the International Livestock Research Institute, and the International Water Management Institute.

The meeting formed part of efforts to build a pipeline of well-structured climate projects capable of attracting international financing.

Ministry Highlights Need for Innovative, Country-Owned Ideas

Opening the session, the Director (Technical) at the Ministry, Dr Alike Peter, described the meeting as a strategic platform for generating innovative, country-owned project ideas.

He said the ideation process was intended to produce concepts that would directly inform the Ministry’s engagements with national and international partners, stressing the importance of openness, creativity, and collaboration.

In his remarks, AGNES Team Lead, Dr George Wamukoya, said the initiative marked the start of a structured, step-by-step process to co-develop high-quality project concepts capable of attracting global climate finance.

He emphasised the need to rely on Nigerian technical expertise rather than externally driven consultancy models, noting that local ownership was critical to sustainability and effective implementation.

Experts Identify Strengths Across Disciplines

Participants drawn from veterinary science, economics, climate policy, gender studies, epidemiology, agribusiness, and communication identified their respective strengths during the session.

They explored how these competencies could be integrated to design climate-smart and financially viable livestock projects capable of delivering economic, environmental, and social benefits.

The meeting also underscored the importance of sustainability, strategic communication, private sector participation, gender inclusion, and data-driven investment cases.

Participants noted that these elements would be critical as Nigeria positions its livestock sector to access international climate finance and strengthen resilience against climate-related risks.