L-PRES Charts Bold Path to Sustainable Livestock Growth in Nigeria

Nigeria’s livestock industry is edging closer to a new era as the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) and key stakeholders push for a regulatory and incentive framework capable of transforming the sector. At a two-day workshop in Abuja themed “Enhancing Regulation and Incentive Frameworks for the Livestock Value Chain in Nigeria”, participants mapped out strategies to boost productivity, strengthen sustainability, and attract investments into the livestock value chain.

National Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, described the initiative as a roadmap for inclusive and competitive growth. He explained that weak organisation, poor enforcement of existing laws, and inadequate incentives have long limited the sector’s potential, stressing the urgency of reforms that guarantee food safety, fair competition, and innovation.

A consultancy report presented by Prof. Maikano Ari of Nasarawa State University exposed systemic gaps, including the absence of strong legal backing, poorly funded regulatory agencies, manpower shortages, and corruption. Proposed solutions include Standard and Minimum Operating Procedures, stronger biosecurity measures, coordinated oversight, and a reward-and-sanction system to ensure compliance.

Dr. Abubakar further noted that well-structured incentives—ranging from subsidies and tax breaks to certifications and carbon credit schemes—could accelerate sustainability and innovation across the value chain. He emphasized that Nigeria now faces a turning point, where regulatory clarity and incentive alignment could position the livestock sector as a key driver of national development and a competitive force in global markets.