Nigeria Must Stop Transporting Animals Thousands Of Kilometres, - Idi Maiha

 Nigeria must stop transporting animals thousands of kilometres, says livestock minister

Nigeria must end the practice of transporting live animals thousands of kilometres before slaughtering them by establishing modern abattoirs close to livestock production centres, Idi Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development, has said.

Maiha spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Animal Science Meeting, organised by the Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN) and the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS).

He said the federal government was already establishing standard abattoirs in Edo and Plateau states as part of efforts to transform livestock production and processing.

“The federal government is already establishing standard abattoirs in Edo and Plateau states as part of efforts to transform livestock production and processing,” he said.

The minister said modern abattoirs would create employment opportunities, improve meat processing and ensure better utilisation of livestock resources.

“We must change the narrative and transform livestock farming in Nigeria. We cannot continue transporting animals thousands of kilometres when we can process them closer to production centres,” he said.

Maiha said transporting live animals over long distances resulted in avoidable losses, including animal deaths, accidents and other challenges associated with the existing livestock supply system.

He added that modern abattoirs would facilitate the collection and processing of animal by-products such as blood, bones, hides and hooves, which could generate additional revenue.

The minister urged Nigeria to adopt modern livestock production and processing practices, citing Brazil as an example of a country with a competitive meat processing industry.

He said Nigeria had the resources, expertise and human capital required to transform its livestock sector, calling on researchers, animal scientists and private investors to work together.

Maiha also called for stronger collaboration between government and professionals to translate scientific research and innovative ideas into practical solutions for livestock development.

In his keynote address, Chidozie Onyedikachi Anyiro, an agricultural economist with the World Bank’s Agriculture and Food Global Practice, said Nigeria spent an estimated $1.5 billion annually on dairy imports despite its enormous livestock resources.

Anyiro described the expenditure as a major economic opportunity being lost, saying the country needed to improve livestock productivity rather than merely increase the number of animals.

He said livestock contributed between two and three per cent of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP), despite employing about 30 per cent of the rural population.

According to him, the sector contributes less than 10 per cent of agricultural GDP, indicating significant opportunities for economic growth, employment generation and wealth creation.

Anyiro said transforming the livestock sector required fundamental changes in how animals were bred, fed, protected, financed, processed and marketed.

“An important message is that innovation must become the driving force behind this transformation, as Nigeria cannot transform its livestock sector by doing more of what it has always done,” he said.

He explained that innovation went beyond technology to include improved production practices, new business models, institutional reforms, financing arrangements and stronger market systems.

The economist identified investment in science, enterprise development and resilient value chains as three major catalysts for transforming the sector.

He said investment in science would promote genetic improvement, reproductive technologies, animal health, feed development and digital livestock management.

On enterprise development, he said scientific discoveries needed to be translated into commercially viable products and services through improved access to finance and markets.

Anyiro added that investment in resilient value chains would strengthen livestock production, processing, storage, transportation and marketing, while addressing challenges associated with animal diseases, climate change and farmer-herder conflicts.

He described livestock as a sustainable economic asset because animals reproduce and generate value, unlike crude oil, which is depleted once extracted and sold.

“A barrel of crude oil once sold is gone forever, but a cow, goat or sheep can feed a family, generate income and reproduce its value year after year,” he said.

Anyiro urged researchers to make their findings commercially useful, close the feed gap, improve indigenous animal breeds, embrace digital innovation and create more opportunities for women and young people.

He said the federal government had an important role in providing policy direction, strengthening animal health services and creating an enabling environment for private investment.

The economist also highlighted the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) project, valued at $500 million, as part of efforts to improve livestock productivity and resilience.

According to him, the project is being implemented in 29 states, with emphasis on productivity, commercialisation, job creation and improved livelihoods.

He urged animal scientists to ensure that research findings moved beyond laboratories and reached farmers, processors and other operators across the livestock value chain.

Earlier, Simeon Ohwofa, president of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, said animal agriculture had the potential to become a major driver of Nigeria’s non-oil economic growth.

Ohwofa said the sector provided food, employment and raw materials for industries, while offering opportunities to generate foreign exchange.

“Animal agriculture puts food on tables, gives work to our young, supplies raw materials to industry and can earn for our economy, foreign exchange,” he said.

He said consistent government policies were necessary to unlock the sector’s potential, warning that frequent policy changes could undermine agricultural development.

“With sound, consistent and long-term government policies, agriculture can actually thrive, but the reverse would be the case if we have truncated and often changed policies,” he said.

Ohwofa said 277 animal scientists would be registered at the meeting, while 14 others would be inducted as associate animal scientists.

He said the new entrants would be joining the animal agriculture profession at a defining moment for the sector.

The NIAS president called on researchers, industry leaders and development partners to strengthen collaboration and translate scientific breakthroughs into commercial opportunities.