Nigeria Launches ABIS Academy, Deepens Belgium Livestock Collaboration

News in brief:

-ABIS Livestock Academy will train farmers, modernise abattoirs, expand cold storage, and create more than 36,000 jobs, strengthening Nigeria’s livestock value chain.

-Nigeria is partnering with Belgium on livestock genetics, vaccines, and AI-based tracking systems to improve productivity, export potential, and food security.

Nigeria’s livestock sector is stepping into a new era of innovation and international collaboration with the launch of the ABIS Livestock Academy in Abuja. At the same event, the Federal Government also deepened ties with Belgium to bring advanced technologies into the country’s growing livestock industry.

A New Vision for Livestock Development

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, speaking at the National Livestock Transformation Dialogue on September 23, 2025, said that the government is determined to move away from outdated practices that limit productivity.

“The grazing reserve and the abattoir are two ends of the same vision,” Maiha explained. “At one end, we raise animals sustainably; at the other, we process them to world-class standards. Between these two lies a value chain that creates jobs, empowers youth and women, drives growth, and secures Nigeria’s place in the global livestock market.”

The Minister stressed that knowledge transfer, training, and innovation are now central to Nigeria’s strategy for building a modern and resilient livestock industry.

ABIS Academy to Drive Knowledge and Jobs

At the event, ABIS unveiled its Livestock Academy, a training hub designed to build capacity for farmers, processors, and entrepreneurs across the value chain. The company is also investing in abattoir modernisation, cold storage facilities, and structured meat distribution systems that will improve the quality and safety of meat available to Nigerians.

ABIS Chairman, Emmanuel Nelson Usman, stated that the company’s expansion projects will create over 36,000 jobs nationwide, boost food security, and drive sustainability through innovations such as biogas production from animal waste. He added that these initiatives will also make Nigeria’s livestock products more competitive in international markets.

NIRSAL’s Support to Livestock Actors

Adding to this momentum, the Managing Director of NIRSAL, Sa’ad Hamidu, announced that in 2025 alone, the agency trained over 490 livestock stakeholders across Nigeria and facilitated more than ₦270 billion in loans and investments into the livestock value chain. This support, he said, has helped farmers and agribusinesses access finance, improve productivity, and expand market opportunities.

Belgium-Nigeria Livestock Cooperation

In a related development, Minister Maiha hosted the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt, who announced a Belgian trade mission to Nigeria in November 2025. The mission will focus on agriculture, food systems, cold-chain management, and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for livestock identification and traceability.

Ambassador Leenknegt highlighted Belgium’s expertise in livestock genetics, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and feed production, offering collaboration opportunities that could transform Nigeria’s sector.

Tapping into Nigeria’s Vast Livestock Potential

Minister Maiha reminded participants that Nigeria’s livestock market is valued at over $33 trillion, with more than 200 million ruminants (cattle, goats, and sheep). He said Belgium’s advanced technologies, such as AI-driven cattle tagging and the Belgian Blue cattle breed, could help Nigeria achieve better productivity, improve disease management, and even support livestock as collateral for loans.

“Our focus is not only on producing more but producing smarter,” the Minister said. “Partnerships like this will ensure Nigerian livestock farmers benefit from the best genetics, vaccines, and digital tools available globally.”