FG pushes for credible data to unlock livestock sector growth

A renewed drive to overhaul how Nigeria gathers and manages livestock data is taking shape, as the Federal Government moves to replace years of guesswork with a unified, credible system.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, told stakeholders at a validation workshop in Abuja on Thursday that Nigeria can no longer afford decisions built on fragmented records. He stressed that the country’s livestock industry will only reach its full economic potential when policies are anchored on solid evidence rather than assumptions.

Maiha projected that a well-structured, data-driven system could transform the sector into a major revenue engine for Nigeria. He reaffirmed his confidence in the government’s target, saying the country can reach the projected $74 billion livestock economy. His optimism, he added, was strengthened by progress he witnessed during a recent visit to Yola.

The minister declared that the sector is stepping into a new phase—one where accuracy, integrity, and transparency must guide planning and implementation. Although Nigeria has accumulated vast amounts of livestock information over the years, he expressed concern that the data remains trapped in separate systems that fail to connect.

He explained that insights from platforms such as the National Livestock Identification and Traceability System, the Nigeria Animal Disease Information System, digitalised grazing reserve data, mobility mapping, and surveillance reports have remained isolated instead of forming a unified national picture. This disjointed structure, he noted, weakens policies, discourages investment, and leaves planning on uncertain ground.

Maiha stressed that harmonising these datasets has become an urgent priority, arguing that without a single, coherent information architecture, Nigeria cannot accurately determine its national herd size, track disease trends, design viable projects, or attract serious investors who depend on reliable market intelligence.

He described the workshop as a significant moment, marking the validation of the National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework—one of the key building blocks for accountability and long-term reform in the sector.

According to him, the ultimate goal is a future where Nigeria operates from a single trusted source of livestock data, one respected by scientists, used by policymakers, relied upon by investors, and recognised by international partners.