2025 World Bee Day Celebration

The Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, addressed the gathering on this year’s World Bee Day celebration and the 6th Nigerian Youth Beekeepers Summit. This year's World Bee Day theme, "Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all," no doubt resonates deeply with our collective mission to promote apiculture development and youth participation. It highlights the vital roles that the bees and other pollinators play in ecosystem restoration, agrifood systems and environmental health. Bees and pollinators play a crucial role in ensuring food security, economic development, and environmental conservation. They pollinate over 75% of the world's crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
In Nigeria, apiculture portends an immense potential for job creation, poverty reduction and economic growth. This year’s campaign thus aims at consolidating on past gains in the industry by further engaging and sensitizing the youth and other stakeholders. By so doing, we will unleash the possibility of providing adequate nourishment to a greater percentage of the Nigerian populace through exploring the critical role of bees and other pollinators in agriculture, ecological balance, and biodiversity preservation. By engaging young people in beekeeping activities, educational initiatives, and advocacy efforts, we can inspire a new generation of environmental leaders and empower them to make a positive impact on the world while creating sustainable livelihoods in the process.
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development is delighted to organize this year’s event, for the very first time since its creation, in collaboration with the Youths for Apiculture Initiative (YFAI). The Ministry fully recognizes the significance of apiculture and its contributions to the nation's agricultural sector, and is poised to provide the requisite leadership to unlock the great opportunities inherent therein. The bold and deliberate decision of the President Bola Amed Tinubu (GCFR) to develop all subsectors of Animal Agriculture through the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development, is a challenge fully embraced under my watch, and the honey bee industry will be no exception.
Our drive and strategy will be to promote modern bee keeping through support in the establishment and development of more modern apiaries across the country and providing structural and technical assistance to existing beekeepers. Also, in order to improve on the standards and quality of Nigeria honey bee products, a Standard Operating Procedure has been drafted, awaiting review and validation. This will form the crux of the much-anticipated code of practice for beekeeping in the country.
Despite their importance however, bees face numerous threats, including habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and declining pollinator populations. We must address these challenges through sustainable beekeeping practices, research, and policy support. Our Ministry is committed to developing and implementing policies that promote the growth and development of the apiculture industry.
Maiha, reassured that the Ministry is dedicated to promoting youth participation in apiculture through training, capacity building, technical and professional support. We recognize the potential of apiculture to create jobs, generate income, and improve livelihoods for women and young Nigerians. By empowering women and youth in apiculture, we can ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry and contribute to the nation's economic development. With the advent of the new Ministry, opportunities now beckon to build on past government initiatives implemented to promote modern beekeeping and value addition.
Maiha, urged stakeholders to collaborate in promoting apiculture development, protecting pollinators, and supporting sustainable beekeeping practices and value addition. Concerted efforts of government, private organizations, beekeepers’ associations, civil societies and concerned citizens will be required to promote actions that will protect the bee and other pollinators and their habitats and also support the sustainable development of beekeeping in the country. We must all seize the opportunity of today’s event to come together, forge a strong and common front by making insightful contributions that will produce positive outcomes capable of addressing the challenges in the honey bee value chain.
Therefore, at the end of this summit, lasting solutions are expected to be proffered to lingering issues such as low product quality and standards, low productivity, climate change, the declining population of honey bees and other pollinators due to negative human activities, ranging from bush burning, poaching, vandalization, use of harmful agro-chemicals, etc.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, together, we can unlock the potentials of apiculture, promote youth employment, and ensure food security for future generations. I call on the private sector, civil society organizations, and international partners to join us in this effort.
Finally, Maiha, appreciated the Nigeria Apiculture Platform (NAP) and for their sustained efforts at uplifting apiculture in Nigeria. I also wish to commend the Youths for Apiculture Initiatives (YFAI) for its unwavering commitment and consistency over the last six years in promoting apiculture development among Nigerian youth. I wish to reiterate the readiness of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to sustain collaboration with you and all relevant stakeholders to promote and develop the industry to international standards in order to ensure food sufficiency, socioeconomic development and foreign exchange earnings for the country. Together, we can build a thriving apiculture industry that benefits our nation and contributes to global food security.