Nigeria Still Imports 65% Of Its Livestock Consumption – Minister

Every year, Nigeria imports more than 60 percent of livestock consumed in the country, the Minister of Livestock Department, Idi Maiha disclosed on Friday.

The minister said the yearly importation of livestock had continued year-in-year-out, despite Nigeria’s N3.2 billion red meat export potential.

Maiha made the disclosure at the National Assembly while appearing before the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Livestock Department.

The minister, in his report on the performance of the 2025 budget, said the ministry, like many others, got zero release from the N10 billion capital component of its 2025 budget.

Maiha also disclosed that of the N70 billion approved for the take of the the ministry, only N20 billion was released. The livestock development ministry was created in 2024.

Worried by the government obvious neglect of the livestock sector, the chairman of the legislative committee, Senator Buba Shehu, expressed disbelief at the poor funding of the ministry.

Baba mandated the committee to write President Bola Tinubu on the need for urgent intervention in line with the primary aim of government to diversify the nation’s economy with livestock development, as done in Brazil, Argentina, Belgium etc.

Also deploring the funding constraints, the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, said the poor funding of the ministry was totally at variance with the aims and objectives of its creation.

“Establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development in 2024 was driven by the gospel of diversification of the nation’s economy.

“It is therefore to my surprise and disgust that we are paying lip service to the livestock sector now.

“We need to drum it into the ears of the Executive that it is inherently contradictory to create the ministry and woefully fail to fund it,” Monguno said.

Another member of the committee, Senator Abdul Ningi, attributed the poor funding to sabotage, which according to him, may not be known to President Tinubu.

Ningi appealed to the minister and top management staff of the ministry to voice out various challenges being faced by them, for amplification by the federal lawmakers to the appropriate quarters.

“This is a ministry that must be supported and well funded by the federal government. I am suspecting sabotage on the zero capital allocation because Mr President meant well for the livestock development sector.

“The leadership of this committee should, as a matter of urgent national importance, write or meet Mr President for urgent intervention,” he said.

In his closing remarks, the committee chairman, Senator Shehu, said mono sector economy can’t help Nigeria or any other country.

He assured that the committee would do everything possible to ensure adequate funding for the ministry to achieve the desired economic diversification.