FG Moves To End Long-Distance Livestock Transportation

The Federal Government has moved to finish the transportation of reside animals over a whole lot of kilometres for slaughter, saying the follow is contributing to large financial losses, losing useful livestock by-products and denying hundreds of thousands of Nigerians employment alternatives.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, stated Nigeria might not afford a livestock system by which animals have been transported over distances of as much as 1,200 kilometres earlier than reaching main consumption centres akin to Abuja and Lagos.

Maiha, who spoke on the opening of the 2026 Animal Science Meeting in Abuja on Tuesday on the Industry Exposition and Livestock Exploration Forum in Abuja, referred to as for a transition to trendy livestock manufacturing, processing and advertising and marketing methods to unlock the sector’s financial potential.

He stated the continued transportation of reside animals over lengthy distances is unsustainable, arguing that livestock must be processed nearer to manufacturing centres, with completed merchandise transported to customers.

According to him, the prevailing system was not solely inefficient but in addition resulted in avoidable losses, raised animal welfare issues and led to the waste of useful supplies that would generate extra earnings for farmers, processors and companies throughout the livestock worth chain.

“You cannot aggregate the blood. You cannot aggregate the solid waste, the bones, the hooves. All these are scattered all over the place,” he stated.

The minister warned that until Nigeria restructured its livestock trade, the nation would proceed to lose monumental financial alternatives in meat processing, dairy manufacturing, leather-based manufacturing and different livestock-related companies.

The minister disclosed that the Federal Government had begun participating livestock producers and different stakeholders to drive the transition, including that groundbreaking ceremonies had already been performed for 2 tasks in Plateau and Edo states.

The minister additionally urged researchers and animal scientists to make sure that scientific discoveries translated into sensible options for farmers, notably in tackling excessive feed prices, low productiveness, illness outbreaks, poor entry to improved breeds and insufficient processing amenities.

Earlier, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), Simeon A. Ohwofa, stated the convention theme, “Innovation in Animal Agriculture: A Catalyst for Nigeria’s Non-Oil Economic Development”, mirrored the necessity to reposition livestock as a serious contributor to nationwide financial progress.

He stated animal agriculture might join farmers, processors, producers and exporters inside an built-in worth chain, creating alternatives for employment, wealth technology and industrial improvement.

Ohwofa recognized feed and fodder manufacturing, value-chain improvement and entrepreneurship, digital applied sciences and innovation, in addition to coverage and institutional frameworks as key areas of focus on the convention.

He additionally referred to as for stronger insurance policies and institutional assist to make sure that investments in animal agriculture have been sustained over the long run.

Also talking, the National President of the Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN), Dr Raymond Isiadinso, referred to as for better adoption of knowledge science and synthetic intelligence to enhance livestock manufacturing and productiveness.

He stated the applying of AI-driven vitamin might assist optimise animal well being and productiveness, whereas data-driven approaches would assist higher decision-making throughout the livestock worth chain.

Isiadinso additionally emphasised the significance of sound coverage and institutional frameworks in guaranteeing sustainable livestock improvement and the continual progress of agricultural enterprises.