The livestock sector may be on the cusp of transformation as stakeholders rally behind a private sector-led investment drive capable of unlocking up to $3bn in pastoral market opportunities over the next three to five years.
The renewed push comes amid growing consensus among government and industry players on the need for urgent reforms to address longstanding structural bottlenecks that have constrained growth.
The investment drive took center stage at a three day high level forum in Abuja, where producers, processors, financiers, and policymakers convened to negotiate deals, forge supply agreements, and rebuild trust across a fragmented value chain.
The event, organized by the African Union Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources through its Africa Pastoral Markets Development Platform, is part of a four year initiative supported by the Gates Foundation to transform pastoral economies into market driven, inclusive, and resilient systems.
Speaking at the forum, Director, Livestock Extension and Business Development, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Shekamang Ayuba, noted that Nigeria holds West Africa’s largest livestock population, with about 54 million cattle and 250 million poultry birds.