By Aduragbemi Omiyale
President Bola Tinubu has described as “worrisome” the average milk yield by cow breeds managed by pastoralists in Nigeria, which he said was “a mere 0.5 to 1.5 litres per day compared to a global average of 6.6 litres per day.”
He expressed his frustration at this at the opening of a two-day Consultative Workshop on Livestock Reforms on Thursday at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
He said livestock farming was critical to the nation’s economy, noting that this was why his administration created a separate ministry for it.
“The livestock sector is critical, and we will give all it needs to bring value to our country. Stakeholders, I assure you that you will not regret the collaboration and investment in this sector.
“It is about time that we do it right. 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.
“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,” the President was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
According to him, Nigeria has no business spending scarce foreign exchange (FX), up to $1.5 billion, to import milk and other agricultural products into the country.
“Our shared mission is clear: we aim to transform the livestock sector from its current subsistence model into a thriving, commercialised industry, an industry that significantly contributes to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and provides decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods for our growing population.
“The potential is immense: With 563 million chickens, 58 million cattle, 124 million goats, 60 million sheep, and 16 million pigs, Nigeria is the leading livestock producer in West Africa. Yet, despite this vast resource, we face stark realities.
“Our annual production of animal-source foods, like milk at 0.7 billion litres, meat at 1.48 million Tonnes and eggs at 0.69 million metric Tonnes, falls far short of our needs. Our per capita consumption levels—8.7 litres of milk, 9 kg of meat, 3.5kg or 45 eggs per year—are troublingly low compared to global averages. These are 44 litres of milk, 19 kg of meat and between 160 and 180 eggs per year.
“What is more worrisome to me is the average milk yield by cow breeds managed by our pastoralists: it is a mere 0.5 to 1.5 litres per day, compared to a global average of 6.6 litres per day. We can do much better!
“The long-term neglect of the livestock sector has weighed heavily on the country’s import bills, with milk and dairy products accounting for $1.2 to $1.5 billion.
“Yes, we can do it. We can bring prosperity to our people. We can feed our children. From grass, we can achieve grace. We can contribute so much to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provide decent jobs,” Mr Tinubu stated.
He thanked the Presidential Livestock Reform Implementation Committee, led by the co-chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega; the Secretary, Prof Muhammed Yahaya Kuta; the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Abdullahi Ganduje; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Nuhu Ribadu; and the Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, for their commitment to realising the dream.