Abuja: The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) and other stakeholders, has adopted climate-smart technologies to improve pasture management and ensure food security. The Minister of Livestock Development, Mr. Idi Maiha, stated this at a stakeholders’ workshop on ‘Technologies for Sustainable Pasture Production and Management in Nigeria’, organised by L-PRES in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Maiha, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Livestock Entrepreneurship, Mr. Ishaq Bello, said the initiative was crucial to the future of livestock productivity, food security, and peaceful coexistence. He emphasized that sustainable pasture management was not merely an agricultural activity, but also a pathway to environmental sustainability, social stability, and economic resilience.
Maiha highlighted the pressing challenges such as overgrazing, climate stress, and tensions over scarce pasture resources, indicating that innovation and collaboration must be the primary tools to address these issues. The workshop, which brought together both local and international stakeholders, marked a significant step towards progress and partnerships aimed at uplifting pastoral communities and strengthening Nigeria’s livestock sector.
He further noted the importance of global partnerships, including collaborations with institutions and government agencies in Israel, to leverage climate-smart technologies and digital innovations. The participation of diverse stakeholders, from farmers and researchers to policymakers and development partners, underscores a shared commitment to transforming rangeland management in Nigeria’s arid and semi-arid zones.
Earlier, the National Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, described the workshop as a high-level forum focused on advancing sustainable pasture production and management in the country. Abubakar mentioned that the forum aimed to explore innovative, climate-smart, and technology-driven solutions to restore and sustainably manage Nigeria’s pasture ecosystems.
He pointed out that pasturelands, considered the backbone of livestock production, were increasingly threatened by overgrazing, land degradation, and climate change. These challenges, he noted, not only reduce productivity but also fuel conflicts over scarce natural resources.
Abubakar elaborated that L-PRES is a six-year, $500 million World Bank-funded initiative designed to improve livestock productivity, commercialisation, and resilience, anchored on three components: institutional and innovation system strengthening; livestock value chain enhancement; and crisis prevention and conflict mitigation.