The Federal Government has intensified efforts to tackle emissions and climate change challenges, reaffirming its commitment to responsible development and the pursuit of net-zero emissions.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, made this known on Thursday in Abuja while declaring open a Stakeholders Engagement Workshop on the development of a climate-sensitive plan for the Nigeria Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS).
Akujobi described the engagement as “timely and critical,” noting that it represents a decisive step toward integrating climate-sensitive development planning into the livestock sector for both mitigation and adaptation.
“The objective of this forum is to move from subsistence-based livestock practices to a modern, commercially viable system that delivers value across the entire chain,” she said.
She stressed that the NL-GAS goes beyond increasing livestock numbers, focusing instead on transforming the sector into one that is efficient, inclusive, resilient, and globally competitive.
According to her, adopting climate-smart livestock practices would enable Nigeria to significantly cut emissions while boosting productivity.
“This is significant because the livestock sector in Nigeria is indeed a lifeline for millions of households and has remained a cornerstone of our rural economy,” Akujobi said. “From pastoralists in the north to smallholder farmers across the country, livestock represents income, nutrition, and cultural identity, contributing 3–5 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP.”
She added that the sector is valued at about $32 billion and supports millions of livelihoods directly and indirectly.
Akujobi further highlighted the untapped potential across the livestock value chain, including leather, dairy, egg and meat production, processing, cold-chain distribution, and veterinary services.
“These are precisely what the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy is designed to optimise in the face of climate variability, land degradation, and population pressures reshaping the livestock ecosystem,” she said.
Also speaking, the Director Technical in the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Alike Peter, said the workshop aims to develop a plan that will accelerate productivity through improved techniques and strategic interventions.
He noted that NL-GAS is transformational, shifting the perception of livestock from a purely animal-based activity to a value chain-driven sector.
Earlier, a scientist with the Livestock, Climate and Environmental Programme at the International Livestock Research Institute, Laura Cramer, pledged the institute’s support for the development of a climate-sensitive implementation plan for NL-GAS.
The workshop also featured goodwill messages from organisations including Food and Agriculture Organization and GIZ, with participants drawn from Sahel Consulting, the National Council on Climate Change, Christian Aid, the Federal Ministry of Environment, and other stakeholders.
