FG Prioritises Feed as Driver of Livestock Transformation

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to creating an enabling environment and strengthening collaboration with producers, processors, investors, financiers, and research institutions to make animal feed the engine of Nigeria’s livestock transformation agenda.

This assurance was given by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, at the Nigeria Feed & Fodder Partners’ Breakfast Roundtable held in Abuja on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. She was represented by the Deputy Director, Ranch and Pastoral Resources Development, Mr. Akeem Ibilade.

Dr. Akujobi noted that Nigeria has the land, livestock resources, human capacity, and market potential to become West Africa’s Feed Production Capital. What is required now, she said, is stronger alignment and commitment across stakeholders.

She explained that the Ministry is driving reforms through the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), which prioritises sustainable feed and fodder systems. She added that the National Animal Feed and Fodder Policy is being advanced to close the national feed deficit and support commercial, year-round forage production.

According to her, Nigeria is moving toward structured livestock systems—ranches and commercial feedlots, citing the recently launched Wase Grazing Reserve livestock estate as an example of this shift.

“Feed accounts for 60–70 percent of livestock production costs,” she stressed. “Where feed fails, livestock cannot succeed.”

The President of the Nigeria Feed & Fodder Multi-Stakeholder Platform (NFF-MSP), Prof. Maikano Mohammed Ari, emphasized that feed remains central to value-chain competitiveness.

Representative of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project, Technical Operations Officer, Jubabatu Ibrahim, highlighted the World Bank–supported project’s role in boosting productivity, resilience and commercialization within the livestock sector.

Goodwill messages were also delivered by AU-IBAR and Sahel Consulting, both reaffirming commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s feed and fodder sector.

The meeting, themed “Advancing Sustainable Feed and Fodder Synergy in Nigeria,” drew participants from academia, financial institutions, ABIS Group, development partners, and industry stakeholders.

Ogochukwu Igboamalu
Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Information)
3rd December, 2025