Tinubu Unveils Livestock Transformation Drive, Targets Higher Milk Production, Jobs and Investment

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says Nigeria is targeting more than doubling the livestock sector’s current $32 billion-plus annual contribution to the national economy, as the Federal Government seeks to strengthen food security, create jobs, attract investment and build a more commercially competitive livestock industry.

Key Takeaways

• Nigeria’s livestock sector currently contributes more than $32 billion annually to the economy, according to President Tinubu.

• The Federal Government wants to more than double the sector’s economic contribution.

• Government is prioritising modern livestock production, ranching, dairy development, meat processing, leather and feed production.

• A major focus is reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported dairy products and increasing local milk production.

• The government says the sector could generate millions of jobs, particularly for young people and women.

• Nigeria is also seeking stronger African cooperation in livestock production, disease control and regional trade.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced an ambitious target to more than double the economic contribution of Nigeria’s livestock sector, currently valued at more than $32 billion annually, as part of efforts to strengthen food security, employment and diversify the Nigerian economy. The President, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, made the declaration onA Monday in Abuja while opening the 9th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture.

Tinubu said the livestock industry remains a major source of food, employment and economic opportunities, with Nigeria possessing an estimated 58 million cattle, 64 million sheep, 124 million goats and 660 million poultry birds. He said the Federal Government's strategy is to transform livestock production from largely subsistence and traditional practices into a modern, technology-driven and commercially competitive industry capable of positioning Nigeria as a major livestock production and processing hub in Africa.

According to the President, the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in July 2024 marked a major step in the government's livestock transformation programme. He said institutional reforms based on recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Livestock Reforms are being implemented to improve governance, raise productivity, encourage peaceful livestock production systems and attract private-sector investment.

A central component of the government's strategy is the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy, which focuses on productivity, stronger value chains, animal health services, commercial feed production, improved livestock genetics and climate-smart production. The administration is also promoting ranching and modern livestock management systems as part of efforts to improve productivity and address conflicts associated with traditional livestock production.

• Dairy production and import dependence

Tinubu further highlighted dairy production as an area with significant economic potential, noting that Nigeria currently spends substantial foreign exchange importing milk and dairy products. He said the government's ongoing dairy transformation programme aims to double local milk production through improved genetics, better nutrition, modern breeding systems and increased private-sector participation.

The programme is expected to support improved breeds, pasture development, commercial feed production, milk collection infrastructure and modern dairy processing facilities. Beyond dairy, the government is encouraging investment across the wider livestock value chain, including meat processing, leather, feed milling and livestock infrastructure.

• Jobs, youth and women

The President also identified livestock as a major avenue for jobs creation, particularly for Nigeria's expanding youth population. He said government intends to increase the participation of young people and women through better access to finance, digital technology, innovation, value-chain opportunities and private-sector partnerships.

Tinubu also called for greater African cooperation, noting that animal diseases, climate change, food insecurity, trade barriers and cross-border livestock movements cannot be effectively addressed by individual countries acting alone. He said Nigeria would continue supporting regional cooperation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), particularly in livestock production and trade.

Key Quotes

According to President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria's national strategy aims to more than double the livestock sector's economic contribution and position the country as a leading hub for livestock production and processing in Africa.

The President said the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy is focused on increasing productivity, strengthening value chains, improving animal health, expanding commercial feed production, enhancing livestock genetics and promoting climate-smart production systems.

On dairy development, Tinubu said the government's transformation programme seeks to double local milk production through improved genetics, nutrition, breeding systems and stronger private-sector participation.

He also stressed that Africa's livestock transformation requires innovation, science, technology and regional cooperation, arguing that no country can achieve sustainable transformation in isolation.

Nigeria has one of Africa's largest livestock populations, making the sector important to food supply, rural livelihoods, employment and agricultural development. However, productivity remains constrained by factors including traditional production systems, limited access to quality animal health services and improved genetics, inadequate feed and processing infrastructure, climate pressures and conflicts associated with livestock movement. The Federal Government's establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development in 2024 represents an effort to give the sector a dedicated institutional framework and move it towards greater commercialisation and value addition through innovative, inclusive, and sustainable policies, programmes, and projects that address the livestock sector’s challenges.

Source: Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

PROGRESSVIEWS ANALYSIS 

The livestock sector's more than $32 billion economic contribution already makes it a significant component of Nigeria's agricultural economy, but the government's ambition to more than double that figure represents a much broader transformation challenge than simply increasing animal numbers. For Nigerians, the real significance will be whether the strategy translates into more affordable food, increased local milk and meat production, reduced dependence on imports, new jobs and stronger incomes across farming and processing communities. Achieving those outcomes will depend heavily on infrastructure, access to finance, animal health, improved genetics, feed availability, security and the development of efficient value chains that allow producers to move beyond primary production into processing and exports.

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Nigeria's livestock opportunity is potentially much larger than the value of animals produced on farms. The bigger economic opportunity lies in developing an integrated value chain in which livestock supports industries ranging from feed production and veterinary services to dairy processing, meat packaging, leather manufacturing, transportation, technology and export logistics. If effectively implemented, the government's strategy could therefore create economic activity far beyond the farm gate.

The dairy component is particularly important because Nigeria's dependence on imported dairy products represents both a food-security and foreign-exchange challenge. Doubling domestic milk production would be meaningful only if improvements in genetics and animal nutrition are accompanied by reliable milk collection systems, cold-chain infrastructure, processing capacity and commercially viable markets for producers. Otherwise, increased production at farm level could struggle to translate into a competitive domestic dairy industry.

The emphasis on ranching and modern livestock systems also has wider implications for Nigeria's security and social stability. A more organised production model could improve animal productivity while reducing some of the pressures associated with open livestock movement and farmer-herder conflicts. However, successful reform will require careful attention to land access, community awareness and interests, availability of water for farming, grazing and production infrastructure, as well as the economic realities facing livestock owners.

Most importantly, the target to more than double the sector's contribution should eventually be measured not only in dollars but in productivity, household income, jobs, food prices, local processing capacity and export performance.