In what has been described as a landmark declaration of intent, President Bola Tinubu delivered a scathing critique of Nigeria’s past failures in the agricultural sector, particularly its longstanding neglect of livestock farming. Addressing a consultative workshop on livestock reforms in Abuja, the President emphasized the need for a robust framework to reinvigorate the sector, describing past policies as short-sighted and economically damaging.
The President’s words were blunt: “We didn’t see the investment opportunities. We didn’t see the economy of livestock in the past. Now that we have seen it, we must work together to restart the sector.” These remarks are not just an admission of past errors; they represent a pivotal moment in the Nigerian government’s approach to livestock farming, an industry crucial to the nation’s food security, job creation, and economic diversification.
The Livestock Crisis: An Inexcusable Oversight
For years, Nigeria’s livestock sector has been grossly underfunded and underdeveloped, leaving the nation reliant on costly imports for essential dairy and meat products. President Tinubu highlighted a critical failure: despite Nigeria’s vast livestock resources, the country cannot provide its children with basic nutritional needs, such as a pint of milk a day. His statement — “A country of over 200 million people and cannot serve our children one pint of milk in a classroom per day? That is not right” — resonated as a condemnation of previous administrations’ failure to capitalize on the sector’s potential.
The statistics tell a bleak story. Nigeria produces only 0.7 billion litres of milk annually, yet the demand far exceeds supply. This has resulted in import bills of between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion, an unsustainable burden for a country with significant poverty rates and growing unemployment.
As Tinubu pointed out, while Nigeria boasts a staggering 563 million chickens, 58 million cattle, 124 million goats, 60 million sheep, and 16 million pigs, these figures mask the inefficiency plaguing the sector. The milk yield of cows in Nigeria is a mere 0.5 to 1.5 litres per day, compared to a global average of 6.6 litres per day. This stark gap is emblematic of a broader problem — the lack of modernization, infrastructure, and investment in livestock farming.
Missed Opportunities: How Nigeria Failed to See the Bigger Picture
Historically, Nigeria’s neglect of livestock farming can be attributed to several factors: poor governance, lack of political will, and an over-reliance on oil revenues. For decades, the nation turned a blind eye to the agricultural sector’s potential, particularly livestock, which could have provided a sustainable means of diversification and food security. The failure to invest in modern agricultural technologies, cold storage facilities, and value chains meant that Nigeria was effectively stuck in a subsistence farming model, incapable of meeting its own food needs, let alone exporting.
President Tinubu’s reference to the lack of cold room investments underscores a critical misstep. Cold storage is essential for preserving meat and dairy products, yet this vital infrastructure has been neglected. Without proper cold storage facilities, large quantities of livestock products are wasted, further driving up import bills and making local production uncompetitive.
The President’s candor is a refreshing break from the empty rhetoric that has long characterized Nigeria’s political discourse on agriculture. His administration appears ready to confront these challenges head-on, but the road to recovery will not be easy. The livestock sector requires more than just political will; it needs substantial financial investment, public-private partnerships, and the development of a comprehensive value chain from farm to market.
The Economic and Security Implications of Livestock Farming
Beyond the immediate benefits of food security, livestock farming is intricately linked to Nigeria’s broader economic and security landscape. As highlighted by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), the reform of animal farming is not just a matter of food security; it is a matter of national security.
The correlation between rural poverty, unemployment, and insecurity in Nigeria is well-documented. In the northern regions of the country, where pastoralist communities dominate, the lack of economic opportunities has fueled violent conflicts over grazing lands. Banditry, cattle rustling, and clashes between herders and farmers have become endemic, contributing to the nation’s growing insecurity.
Revamping the livestock sector could mitigate these conflicts by providing sustainable livelihoods for millions of Nigerians, particularly in the north. By creating jobs in animal husbandry, dairy production, meat processing, and related industries, the government can help reduce the economic desperation that often drives people toward violence and criminal activities.
Moreover, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector could further bolster the economy, creating a ripple effect that extends beyond the agricultural sector. As Tinubu noted, “We can bring prosperity to our people. We can feed our children. From grass, we can achieve grace.” These words encapsulate the potential of the livestock sector not just to feed the nation, but to transform its economic trajectory.
Tinubu’s Plan: A Long Overdue Shift in Strategy
The President’s pledge to create a “thriving, commercialized industry” signals a shift away from the subsistence farming model that has long dominated Nigeria’s livestock sector. The involvement of the Presidential Livestock Reform Implementation Committee, chaired by former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and Prof. Muhammed Yahaya Kuta, lends credibility to the initiative. Their expertise and track record suggest that this may finally be the comprehensive reform the sector has been waiting for.
President Tinubu also thanked key political figures, including Abdullahi Ganduje, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser, for their commitment to the reforms. These endorsements are crucial, as they suggest that the initiative has broad political support across various levels of government.
However, the success of this initiative will depend on its execution. Nigeria’s history is littered with failed agricultural policies, and skepticism abounds regarding the government’s ability to deliver on its promises. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, the Tinubu administration must ensure that the reforms are backed by substantial investment, both from the public and private sectors.
The Role of State Governments and Traditional Leaders
State governments will play a critical role in the success of the livestock reforms. Governor Abdulrazaq’s assurance of a “100 percent buy-in” from the subnational level is encouraging, but it remains to be seen whether this commitment will translate into action. In the past, similar initiatives have been stalled by bureaucracy and a lack of coordination between federal and state governments.
The involvement of traditional leaders, such as the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, is also crucial. Traditional leaders hold significant sway in rural communities, where most livestock farming takes place. Their support will be essential in implementing the reforms at the grassroots level and ensuring that pastoralist communities are fully integrated into the modernized livestock sector.
The Potential for Foreign Direct Investment
One of the most promising aspects of President Tinubu’s plan is the potential to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) into the livestock sector. By creating a more commercialized, value-driven industry, Nigeria could become a hub for livestock farming in West Africa. The country’s strategic location, coupled with its vast livestock resources, makes it an attractive destination for investors looking to tap into the region’s growing demand for meat and dairy products.
However, attracting FDI will require significant improvements in Nigeria’s business environment. Investors will need assurances of political stability, security, and a reliable legal framework to protect their investments. The Tinubu administration must prioritize these areas if it hopes to attract the level of investment needed to transform the livestock sector.
A New Dawn for Nigeria’s Livestock Sector?
President Tinubu’s speech at the Consultative Workshop on Livestock Reforms marks a significant turning point in Nigeria’s approach to agriculture. His acknowledgment of past mistakes and his commitment to revamping the livestock sector are commendable, but the true test will be in the implementation of these reforms.
The stakes are high. Livestock farming has the potential to create jobs, reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imports, improve food security, and contribute to national security. But realizing this potential will require more than just rhetoric; it will require a sustained, coordinated effort from all levels of government, the private sector, and rural communities.
If successful, the Tinubu administration’s livestock reforms could serve as a model for other African countries facing similar challenges. But failure to follow through on these promises would be yet another missed opportunity in Nigeria’s long history of agricultural mismanagement.
The Failure of Agricultural Policy and Missed Economic Opportunities
President Tinubu’s candid admission that Nigeria “didn’t see the investment opportunities” in livestock farming during past administrations underscores one of the nation’s most glaring policy failures. Historically, agricultural policies in Nigeria have been largely reactive and short-sighted, aimed at providing temporary relief rather than addressing long-term sustainability. The failure to recognize the economic potential of livestock farming, a sector that employs millions and holds the capacity to revolutionize rural economies, represents a missed opportunity that has set the country back by decades.
For a country of over 200 million people, relying on dairy imports to meet the nutritional needs of its citizens is nothing short of an economic catastrophe. Nigeria, which boasts one of the largest cattle populations in Africa, should be a net exporter of dairy products. Yet, the nation’s annual import bill for milk and dairy products ranges between $1.2 to $1.5 billion. The inability to maximize the potential of the livestock sector means that Nigeria continues to hemorrhage foreign exchange on imports that could be locally sourced. This economic mismanagement has led to unnecessary inflationary pressures and compromised the nation’s food security.
The President’s statement, “We didn’t see the economy of livestock in the past,” is a stinging rebuke to previous governments. The economic potential of livestock farming should have been a cornerstone of national policy decades ago. Tinubu’s call to action highlights that this neglect is no longer tenable in the face of mounting population pressures and dwindling natural resources. The failure to realize that “from grass, we can achieve grace” speaks to the broader issue of leadership failures, both at the federal and state levels.
The Role of State Governments in Perpetuating Neglect
One of the most critical points made during the consultative workshop was the acknowledgment by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State that past livestock farming reforms were “reduced to files in the Ministries of Agriculture in states and local councils due to lack of political will.” This statement unearths a systemic issue of governance in Nigeria—lack of continuity in policies and programs across successive governments.
State governments, which should have been the drivers of livestock farming reform, have historically displayed apathy and negligence. As Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Abdulrazaq’s admission speaks volumes about how political inertia and self-interest at the sub-national level have stifled agricultural reforms. The absence of land grants, the failure to develop local dairy industries, and the abandonment of previous livestock reform efforts illustrate how deeply entrenched corruption and short-sighted governance have been.
It is alarming that local councils and state governments, despite their proximity to the rural communities who engage in livestock farming, have done little to foster growth in this sector. Their failure to provide the necessary infrastructure—cold storage facilities, milk processing plants, and veterinary services—has left pastoralists languishing in subsistence farming, unable to break into commercial markets. Governor Abdulrazaq’s statement that each state “should create a segment for livestock farming and extend the value chain to meat and dairy production” is a reminder that sub-national governments must now play a more active role if Nigeria is to achieve the goals of the livestock reform program.
National Security and Food Security: The Interconnected Crisis
The link between food security and national security was another crucial theme highlighted during President Tinubu’s speech. The acknowledgment by the Chairman of the NGF, Abdulrazaq, that livestock reform is not merely a matter of food security but also national security is a wake-up call to the nation. The herder-farmer conflicts that have plagued Nigeria for decades are symptomatic of a deeper problem—resource scarcity. As grazing lands diminish and pastoralists are pushed into arable farming territories, tensions flare, leading to violent clashes that destabilize entire regions.
A well-organized livestock farming sector would mitigate these conflicts by providing designated grazing zones, reducing the need for herders to encroach on farming communities. President Tinubu’s emphasis on creating investment opportunities in cold storage, processing facilities, and other ancillary services associated with livestock farming can help to address these long-standing security concerns. More critically, the reform of the livestock sector could help reduce Nigeria’s dependency on oil revenues by diversifying the economy through agriculture, thereby strengthening national security from an economic perspective.
Moreover, in a nation where poverty and unemployment drive recruitment into criminal enterprises, revitalizing livestock farming could provide much-needed jobs, especially in rural areas. By creating “decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods,” as the President put it, the government can combat the root causes of insecurity—economic disenfranchisement and a lack of opportunity.
Addressing the Dire State of Nigeria’s Milk Production
The statistics provided by President Tinubu paint a bleak picture of Nigeria’s livestock industry, particularly in dairy production. The fact that Nigerian cows yield a mere 0.5 to 1.5 litres of milk per day, compared to the global average of 6.6 litres, is a glaring indictment of the country’s livestock management systems. These figures are not just numbers; they represent the lived experiences of millions of Nigerians who lack access to affordable and nutritious food. The paltry 0.7 billion litres of milk produced annually is woefully inadequate for a country of Nigeria’s size, forcing the nation to rely on costly imports that undermine local industries.
The President’s criticism of the status quo—“We can do much better!”—serves as a rallying cry for urgent reform. Nigeria must now invest in modern animal husbandry techniques, improved breeds, and veterinary services to boost milk production. The government’s collaboration with international and local stakeholders to improve yields must be a top priority if Nigeria is to close the gap between its current production levels and global standards.
Furthermore, the potential for job creation in the dairy value chain is enormous. From dairy farmers to milk processors, transporters, and retailers, the opportunities are vast. A robust dairy sector would not only provide jobs but also improve the nutritional standards of Nigerian children, who currently receive inadequate amounts of dairy in their diets. President Tinubu’s vision of “serving our children one pint of milk in a classroom per day” is both a practical and symbolic commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of the nation’s youth.
The Role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Revitalizing the Sector
One of the most important aspects of President Tinubu’s address was the call for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the livestock sector. The President’s acknowledgment that “we didn’t see the cold room investment” underscores the untapped potential for private sector involvement in livestock farming. Cold storage facilities, which are essential for preserving dairy products, meat, and other animal-source foods, are severely lacking in Nigeria. This infrastructural deficiency has been a major impediment to the commercialization of livestock farming.
By encouraging FDI, Nigeria stands to benefit from the transfer of technology, capital, and expertise that could revolutionize the sector. International investors, particularly from countries with advanced livestock industries, could help to modernize Nigeria’s agricultural practices, introducing high-yield breeds, efficient farming techniques, and modern processing facilities. The involvement of FDI in the sector would not only bring in much-needed capital but also help to build the capacity of local farmers and pastoralists.
However, FDI alone will not be a panacea for the sector’s challenges. It must be accompanied by a strong regulatory framework that ensures fair competition and protects the interests of local farmers. The government must also provide incentives for domestic investors, ensuring that the benefits of livestock reform are equitably distributed across the country.