Minna:The Federal government is aiming to create approximately 10,000 jobs from each newly established abattoir that has a 500-cattle-per-day capacity. This initiative will be implemented through public-private partnerships across Nigeria.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Alhaji Idi Maiha, the Minister for Livestock Development, announced this plan during a courtesy visit to Governor Umaru Bago of Niger. The visit was part of a two-day working trip to assess L-PRES projects in Minna. The minister emphasized that this initiative aims to revolutionize the livestock sector by shifting from transporting live animals to local meat processing.
Maiha encouraged state governments to collaborate with private sector operators to establish and operate modern abattoirs in their capitals. He stated that these facilities would boost backward integration, offering opportunities in cattle fattening, pasture cultivation, feed production, animal health services, and transportation.
He highlighted that Nigeria’s current practice of moving live animals from the North to the South results in animal weight loss, accidents, waste, and limited value addition. He advocated for a transition to processed meat transportation under cold conditions, which necessitates effective abattoir operations.
The minister further noted that the livestock sector could significantly employ youths through activities such as egg production, poultry, milk production, and goat processing, which provide year-round income. He identified feed and fodder, breed improvement, and animal health management as the ministry’s top priorities.
Maiha also mentioned that improved breeding could enhance milk production, reducing the country’s $1.5 billion annual expenditure on dairy imports despite having around 55 million cattle. He called for collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments, and the private sector to boost livestock productivity and lessen reliance on imported dairy products.
Commending Governor Bago for fostering a conducive environment for livestock and agricultural investments in Niger, the minister praised Zaima Farm as a center of excellence. He also expressed condolences to the Niger Government and families affected by recent mining incidents, advocating for sector formalization and management to benefit the economy.
Governor Bago responded by addressing the pasture shortage with plans to promote animal feed cultivation. The state has secured $100 million from Saudi Exim Bank, with an initial $10 million allocated to irrigation projects supporting pasture production. The initiative aims to provide necessary resources for pastoralists and create incentives for organized livestock production.
Bago also mentioned that El-Presco has facilitated an arrangement for Niger to supply about 200 cattle daily to Niger Food and Abis in Abuja. This production cycle is expected to accommodate between 18,000 and 20,000 cattle in feedlots, potentially creating about 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The governor urged the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to review its L-PRES investment plans to ensure Niger’s inclusion and called for activating railway routes linking Niger to Lagos to improve livestock movement and ease road congestion, which could help reduce wastage and mitigate farmer-herder conflicts.
Hajiya Aisha Ahmed-Nasir, CEO of Zaima Farm, shared that L-PRES interventions have significantly enhanced the farm’s poultry production and processing capabilities. The improvements include key infrastructure such as access roads and a broiler processing unit, offering clean processing environments and opportunities for farmers in and outside Niger.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Minister Maiha was welcomed by Mr. Yakubu Garba, the deputy governor of Niger, at the Bola Tinubu International Airport.