FG moves to turn livestock sector into economic growth engine
By SUMAYYAH ADEFAKA
The Federal Government has inaugurated a new Technical Sub-Committee under the National Economic Council (NEC) to accelerate the development of Nigeria’s livestock sector, with a view to boosting economic growth, enhancing food security and promoting national cohesion.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, announced this on Tuesday during the inaugural meeting of the sub-committee held at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Bagudu explained that the technical team was established to harmonise existing policies, studies and recommendations on livestock development and translate them into a clear, practical implementation roadmap for swift approval and execution by the NEC.
He disclosed that the NEC had earlier constituted a high-level committee on livestock development, chaired by the Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, and made up of governors from the six geopolitical zones, relevant ministers and the co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Livestock Development.
However, due to the demanding schedules of governors and the urgency of the task, the NEC approved the creation of a smaller technical sub-committee to carry out detailed work and speed up implementation.
“Our task is not to reinvent the wheel. A considerable body of work already exists. What is required now is to distil these reports into a clear, practical implementation roadmap that the National Economic Council can adopt without delay,” Bagudu said.
The minister highlighted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s personal commitment to livestock development, describing it as part of a broader rethinking of agriculture as a major driver of economic growth rather than a marginal activity.
According to him, the President sees livestock as central to improving food production, creating jobs and driving inclusive growth, noting that Tinubu’s decision to personally chair the Presidential Committee on Livestock Development underscored the administration’s seriousness.
“Mr. President has consistently said that livestock is not a marginal activity but a central economic driver for food security, agricultural productivity and inclusive growth,” he said.
Bagudu also pointed to the creation of a standalone Ministry of Livestock Development as evidence that the sector is now being treated as a critical component of the national economy.
He stressed that livestock development required collaboration across all tiers of government in line with Nigeria’s federal structure, adding that the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning would continue to coordinate national plans, budgets and programmes to ensure alignment and effective implementation.
The minister listed several funding and support initiatives available to states and communities, including the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) project, NG-CARES, the Nigeria for Women Programme and the Renewed Hope Ward-Based Development Plan.
He explained that the ward-based development plan was designed to identify and support business and economic opportunities across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards, urging state commissioners to take full ownership of the process.
Bagudu noted that once the NEC adopts the committee’s recommendations, it would be easier for states and local governments to commit resources, while clear and stable policies would also attract development partners, impact investors and private sector participation.
He added that the work of the sub-committee could help ease tensions often associated with livestock production by repositioning the sector as a source of shared prosperity rather than conflict.
Also speaking, the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Dr. Sampson Ebimaro, described the meeting as a significant step towards advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
Ebimaro said food security was closely linked to economic growth and national development, assuring that the ministry remained committed to coordinating nationwide efforts for sustainable results.
The meeting was attended by senior government officials and sector experts, including the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness, Kingsley Uzoma; commissioners for budget and planning from Cross River, Kebbi and Niger states; representatives of L-PRES; livestock policy experts; and the Minister of Livestock, Alhaji Idi Maiha.
With the technical sub-committee now in place, the Federal Government said the next step would be to convert years of research and policy work into a concrete action plan aimed at modernising livestock production, improving the livelihoods of farmers and herders, and supporting Nigeria’s broader goals of economic growth and national stability.
