Nigeria to Drive Livestock Growth Through Youth and Women Inclusion

The Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, has reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to empowering youth and women as key players in the livestock sector.

Speaking at the Presidential Initiative on Youth and Women in Livestock Development held in Abuja on Wednesday 14th May 2025, the Minister emphasised the importance of equipping young people and women with the necessary skills, knowledge, resources, and networks to participate productively in the sector.

"If you look at the image that people present of agriculture today, it's a backward vocation meant for the poor, meant for the aged, in the rural areas. Backbreaking activity, manual bridging, holding a hoe, a cutlass, planting manually, and harvesting little," Maiha stated.

“Our goal is to make the livestock sector attractive to young graduates and ICT-savvy individuals while ensuring it is inclusive and gender-sensitive. Our delivery policy will ensure they are equipped with the right skills, knowledge, resources, and connections to thrive in the livestock value chain," he added.

Maiha also advocated for the feminisation of livestock, highlighting the potential in small ruminants, poultry, rabbitry, and other value chains that suit the needs and capabilities of women. He also called for support in areas such as land access, finance, and technology.

"There are societies today in Africa where probably the largest amount of milk yield is coming from the family cow handled by women. We need to craft our policies around that feminisation. It can be goat, it can be sheep, it can be chicken, it can be rabbitry, it can be aggregation, or even just hatching.

"If you look at that sector today, you find out that there are vast opportunities, starting from the field to the grass to the glass of milk. There are huge opportunities, from pasture, feed and fodder, breeding, management, processing, aggregation, packaging, culture, storage, distribution.

"There are a whole gamut of activities to be undertaken. And we do believe that these demographic groups are the ones that are going to unlock those opportunities. There are huge emerging opportunities today in the livestock sector.

"We are determined to turn this vital demographic into a productive national force. We must identify and eliminate the barriers preventing their full involvement," the Minister reiterated.

The event also featured goodwill messages from key stakeholders, including the Special Adviser to the President on Livestock, Professor Attahiru Jega, who underscored the critical role of youth and women in national development. “Any serious government must prioritise their inclusion,” Jega said.

In the same vein, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Livestock, Mr. Abolaji Abiola-Ajumobi, described the workshop as a strategic opportunity to craft a practical and inclusive framework.

“Access to land, finance, training, and technology are not just support mechanisms, they are game changers,” he remarked.

The initiative aims to identify, train, and mentor 1,000 youth per state, unlocking opportunities across the livestock value chain and transforming the sector into a hub of innovation and productivity.

Oghenekevwe Uchechukwu
Press and Public Relations Department
14th May, 2025