As part of efforts to drive innovation and evidence-based policymaking, the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has announced plans to establish a dedicated research team to tackle pressing challenges in the sector.
The team, comprised of leading experts, researchers, and practitioners, will focus on critical areas such as animal health, feed technology, sustainable farming practices, and market integration.
Disclosing this during a meeting with a delegation from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and its affiliated National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, stressed the importance of using research to inform decisions that directly impact farmers, producers, and the economy.
“We are setting up a team of Nigerians who are industry experts to take a surgical look at NAPRI and come up with recommendations.
“We want to bring out special research areas – beef, dairy, feed and fodder, small ruminants, micro-livestock, and see to the commercialisation of all these researches. We want to be proud of having a Nigerian-bred dairy cow. We want to be proud of having a Nigerian-bred beef breed. We want to be proud of a Nigerian goat that can probably be about 150 kg at slaughter weight.
“The livestock sector is too vital to rely on guesswork. We need a strong research backbone to develop policies that work and drive sustainable growth. This research team will ensure our strategies are rooted in science and market realities,” Maiha stated.
The Ministry will collaborate with academic institutions like ABU and NAPRI to provide data, technical expertise, and resources for the team.
