The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to reposition Nigeria’s livestock sector through a coordinated national strategy on animal genetics, with a strong emphasis on data, policy harmonisation, and scientific innovation.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja while declaring open a stakeholders’ consultative workshop on Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR), organised under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), a World Bank-assisted programme.
He stressed the urgency of developing practical, science-driven solutions to long-standing challenges in the management of animal genetic resources, noting that the sector remains critical to food security, rural livelihoods, and national economic resilience.
The minister underscored the need to harmonise national protocols for the characterisation, inventory, and monitoring of livestock genetic resources, warning that poor data systems have continued to undermine effective policy formulation.
“Without accurate baseline data, it is impossible to design appropriate breeding objectives or determine which breeds are best suited for specific agro-ecological zones,” Maiha said.
He added that reliable data on indigenous livestock breeds — including their distribution, genetic composition, and adaptive traits — is essential for defining breeding priorities and implementing conservation strategies.
Maiha also highlighted the importance of continuous monitoring systems to detect early signs of genetic erosion and mitigate extinction risks, noting that such frameworks would enable timely interventions, including conservation programmes and improved breeding strategies.
Aligning Nigeria’s efforts with global frameworks such as the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources and the Interlaken Declaration, the minister charged stakeholders to develop harmonised and implementable protocols that will strengthen national data systems, promote biodiversity conservation, and support evidence-based policymaking.
In his remarks, the Director of Ruminants and Monogastric Development in the ministry and National Coordinator on Animal Genetics, Victor Egbon, urged participants to prioritise simplicity, inclusiveness, and practicality in designing protocols that can be effectively deployed across all states.
He assured stakeholders of the Federal Government’s commitment to institutionalising and scaling the outcomes of the workshop nationwide.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of L-PRES, Sanusi Abubakar, described the workshop as a milestone in implementing the National Strategy on Animal Genetic Resources, launched in June 2025.
According to him, while characterisation provides the scientific foundation for identifying and understanding livestock breeds, robust inventory and monitoring systems are essential for data-driven decision-making and timely interventions.
He said the exercise is expected to produce harmonised and practical protocols to guide national data collection, breed identification, and risk monitoring, adding that the outcomes will strengthen databases, improve policy decisions, and enhance conservation, productivity, and resilience in the livestock sector.
Also speaking, the Country Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Hussein Gadain, reaffirmed continued technical support for Nigeria’s livestock transformation efforts.
He noted that veterinary and genetic services remain the first line of defence in protecting animal health, ensuring food safety, and maintaining market stability, while calling for improved governance, stronger surveillance systems, and enhanced laboratory capacity.
A representative of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abba Gambo, commended the minister’s engagement with subnational governments and pledged support to expand L-PRES implementation to the remaining 16 states.
Similarly, the Emir of Nasarawa, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes.
On behalf of state project coordinators, the Gombe State Coordinator under L-PRES, Usman Bello Abubakar, reaffirmed commitment to developing forward-looking protocols that will guide the conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources nationwide.
The workshop brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including academics, researchers, development partners, financial experts, and government agencies, in a renewed push to build a resilient, data-driven, and globally competitive livestock sector.
