By Dele Ogbodo
The Federal Government has announced that approximately 37,000 youths will be fully absorbed into livestock farming as part of President Bola Tinubu’s presidential initiative on youths and livestock development.
During a visit to the Ministry by a team from the Brazilian JBS S.A Executive Group in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of Livestock Development, Mr. Idi Mukhtar Maiha, explained that the investment partnership would focus on youths with a genuine passion for livestock.
In his presentation, he stated, “On the issue of outgrower system, they are looking at young farmers, they are working on presidential initiatives on youths and livestock, for every state, they are going to work strictly for those that have passion on livestock.”
He added, “1000 youths from each state will give you 37000 youths and we are going to profile them, train, build their capacity and link them to financial institutions and input sources which will bring about massive forage and fodder production in conjunction with state governments.”
The Director, Information and Public Relations Department of the Ministry, Mr. Ben Goong, in a statement said the Minister also mentioned that the recruitment, which is inclusive of women, will focus on pasture cultivation and breeding, adding that some state governors have agreed to provide land, while the federal government will supply the seedlings.
According to the Minister: “For breed improvement, 3 methods will be employed – using live bulls, siemens, and a combination of embryo transfer with multiple egg harvest. Typically, 8 to 9 eggs are fertilized to achieve a 100 percent success rate immediately.
“However, this method is feasible only in a ranch setting where a capable manager can oversee the process and ensure an ample supply of feed. This controlled environment accelerates the production of the desired bulls by favoring a higher ratio of females, which ultimately enhances reproduction.”
In his presentation, the Minister also provided an overview of Nigeria’s livestock population, including cattle at 20.9 million, sheep at 49.1 million, goats at 88.2 million, poultry at 258.5 million, and pigs at 9.2 million.
Maiha, further stressed that the investment partnership would incorporate disease control measures, specifically targeting swine fever, anthrax, and other illnesses.
He confirmed that the pig industry is an integral component of the initiative, noting that discussions with the Benue State governor have already taken place, given the state’s significant involvement in piggery.
Chief Executive Officer of the Brazilian JBS S.A Executive Group, Ricardo Lacerda, stated that Brazil is planning to develop approximately 200,000 ranching operations for beef, a model that will be replicated in other states.
He noted that while the chicken industry is more developed than the beef sector, the scale of chicken operations, including broiler production, will be determined as the project evolves.
Lacerda, assured that extensive collaboration would be pursued provided there is adequate land, and mentioned that another technical group would be dispatched for further discussions.
