By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi 

President Bola Tinubu has vowed to revitalize Nigeria’s livestock sector, acknowledging past mistakes that led to neglect and reliance on dairy imports.

The President, while speaking at the opening of a two-day consultative workshop on livestock reforms on Thursday, in Abuja, pledged to create a robust framework to stimulate prosperity in the sector, ensuring government support to revamp and reposition it for employment and foreign investment.

Tinubu emphasised the sector’s critical role, citing Nigeria’s position as West Africa’s leading livestock producer with 563 million chickens, 58 million cattle, and 124 million goats.

However, he noted that annual production falls short of national needs, with per capita consumption levels significantly lower than global averages.

The President expressed concern over the low milk yield of cow breeds managed by pastoralists, averaging 0.5-1.5 liters per day compared to the global average of 6.6 liters.

He also highlighted the economic impact of neglecting the sector, resulting in $1.2-1.5 billion spent on milk and dairy product imports.

Tinubu thanked the Nigerian Governors Forum, Presidential Livestock Reform Implementation Committee, and individuals like Abdullahi Ganduje and Nuhu Ribadu for their support and commitment to reforming the livestock sector.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, assured of the “100 percent buy-in” of states to make the reform a success, considering it a matter of national security.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, praised the President’s leadership and commitment to livestock reform, promising to work with the Ministry of Livestock Development to diversify the economy and empower Nigerians.