FG Seeks Stronger Coordination as Australia Explores Livestock Research Partnership

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has called for stronger collaboration between development partners and government institutions to ensure that research interventions in Nigeria's livestock sector are fully aligned with national priorities and deliver measurable impact.

Speaking to a delegation from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) on Thursday 23rd July, 2026, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, called the visit timely, noting that meaningful engagement must begin with government to facilitate coordination, stakeholder mapping and alignment with existing national policies and programmes.

"It is important that organisations seeking to support the livestock sector come through the Ministry. Our responsibility is not to micromanage projects but to ensure proper coordination, avoid duplication of efforts and guide partners towards areas where their interventions will have the greatest impact," she said.

The Permanent Secretary noted that several institutions identified by the ACIAR delegation already fall under the Ministry's supervisory mandate, while other relevant stakeholders could also be incorporated into the ongoing scoping exercise to enrich its findings.

She emphasised that the Ministry's priority extends beyond research to ensuring that findings translate into practical improvements for livestock producers.

"We are intentional about impact. Research should not end on the shelf. We need a clear communication strategy that will help farmers understand, adopt and benefit from the innovations that emerge from this work," she stated.

Dr. Akujobi further requested that ACIAR share its concept note, implementation timeline, key performance indicators and expected outcomes to enable the Ministry align the proposed programme with the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS) and other existing policy frameworks.

In addition, the Permanent Secretary directed relevant departments of the Ministry to establish a technical interface with the ACIAR team to support the scoping process and facilitate continued engagement throughout the project's development.

During discussions, directors of the Ministry urged the delegation to broaden stakeholder consultations, utilise existing policy documents such as the National Livestock Master Plan and NL-GAS, and align the proposed research with Nigeria's livestock investment priorities. 

They also called for expanded collaboration in areas including animal genetics, disease surveillance, feed and fodder systems, livestock data management, capacity building, and postgraduate training opportunities for Ministry personnel.
 
Senior Initiative Manager for ACIAR, Mr Wekem Raymond Avatim, explained that the visit forms part of a regional scoping study aimed at identifying priority investment areas for livestock development in Nigeria and other West African countries. 

The proposed initiative seeks to generate evidence that will guide future research-for-development programmes, strengthen institutional capacity, promote knowledge exchange and support implementation through multi-stakeholder collaboration.

The delegation noted that preliminary consultations have identified feed and fodder shortages, climate change, youth participation, gender inclusion, animal health, vaccine availability and institutional coordination as major challenges confronting Nigeria's livestock sector. 

They also disclosed that the Australian Government is considering an investment of more than AU$70 million across selected West African countries, with Nigeria identified as one of the priority countries for engagement.

The team pledged to deepen engagement with the Ministry, extend consultations where necessary and subject the final scoping report to stakeholder validation before implementation. 

Henrietta Okokon
Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations 
23rd July, 2026