Onome Amuge
Stakeholders under the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee (PLRIC) have called on the federal government to implement a unified digital taxation system, streamlined regulations, waste management systems, among other recommendations to address the challenges hindering the growth of the nation’s livestock sector and unlock its untapped investment potential.
Despite its critical role in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, the livestock industry is faced with numerous hurdles that hinder its potential and limit its productivity.
From diminishing grazing lands to inadequate quality feed, scarce water resources, the growing impacts of climate change, poor breeding and management practices, and socioeconomic factors, cattle breeding and dairy production in Nigeria have been constantly struggling. These challenges, collectively, represent a significant roadblock to the growth and development of the livestock sector in the country, preventing it from realizing its full potential and contributing to the overall economy.
The situation in Nigeria’s livestock sector is compounded by the low milk yield of cattle breeds managed by pastoralists. The average milk yield of 0.5 to 1.5 litres per day is a contrast to the global average of 6.6 litres, highlighting the urgent need for intervention and sustainable solutions to boost productivity.
The dire state of Nigeria’s livestock sector is further aggravated by the fact that the country’s current production levels of animal-based foods are far below the national requirements.
The inadequacies in Nigeria’s livestock sector are further revealed by a closer examination of the country’s milk, meat, and egg production figures.
Annual milk production stands at an estimated 0.7 billion litres, meat production at 1.48 million tonnes, and egg production at around 0.69 million metric tonnes. These figures fall significantly short of global averages and reflect the inadequate state of the livestock sector in the country.
Seeking a solution to the challenges facing the livestock sector in Nigeria, the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, stated that the solution to alleviating the burden of multiple taxation lies in the establishment of a unified digital tax system, which would streamline the tax process and remove the cumbersome administrative obstacles that currently hinder the livestock sector’s growth and development.
The committee, chaired by Attahiru Jega, the former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), comprises an assemblage of 400 diverse stakeholders, made up of expert groups, businesses, and academia.
The PLRIC further recommended streamlining regulations to reduce bureaucracy and simplify the process for investment in the livestock sector.
The committee underscored the importance of strengthening the National Animal Identification and Traceability (NAIT) system in order to address security concerns and enhance the marketability of livestock products.
They argued that such a system would be instrumental in maintaining market standards and building consumer confidence in the livestock sector.
In addition, the committee identified the supply of essential resources such as grains, forage, pasture, and animal feeds as crucial areas requiring the government’s attention, as these resources are vital for the growth and prosperity of the livestock business.
The PLRIC, in recognition of the pressing need to tackle the effects of climate change on livestock production, advocated for the development of a comprehensive policy framework focused on addressing climate change impacts across all livestock sub-sectors. This framework, they suggested, should aim to integrate climate-smart practices and technologies to help the livestock sector adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, thereby safeguarding the industry’s long-term sustainability and profitability.
The multi-stakeholder communique issued by the committee urged the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to take decisive action by providing a clear and actionable framework for managing conflicts between farmers and herders at all levels of governance, from the federal to the local government level.
Moreover, they emphasised the importance of establishing clear financing mechanisms that would ensure the effective and sustained operation of this framework, thus paving the way for a more stable and harmonious coexistence between farmers and herders in Nigeria’s rural communities.
The committee called on the livestock development ministry to establish livestock data and genetic resource conservation infrastructure, including gene banks and genetic stock improvement, to ensure a sustainable and resilient livestock sector in Nigeria.
Furthermore, they urged the ministry to prioritise the management of waste generated throughout the livestock value chain and develop systems for its conversion into wealth through resource recovery and recycling technologies.
In addition, the committee highlighted the significance of livestock mechanisation in the various value chains and urged the ministry to establish appropriate departments and allocate resources to address this critical component of livestock production.
The committee underscored the critical need for a thorough examination of existing livestock sector policies and for the development of new ones where necessary.
Specifically, they called on the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to assess the effectiveness and currency of existing policies, with the aim of strengthening them where possible.
With the aim of eliciting feedback from various stakeholders and fostering a collaborative approach to reforming the livestock sector in Nigeria, the PLRIC’s 2-day workshop provided a platform for the exchange of ideas, networking, and the identification of key strategies.
The workshop is considered a development in the livestock reform process, with the recommendations generated by the stakeholders expected to play a significant role in shaping the strategies and actions needed to transform the livestock sector in Nigeria into a globally competitive entity.
