AU, Nigeria Unite to Build Safer, Stronger Livestock Mobility Systems

A renewed partnership between the Federal Government and the African Union–Inter African Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) is setting the stage for safer, more organised, and market-driven livestock movement across Africa. The collaboration aims to reshape mobility systems so herders, traders, and communities can benefit from predictable, well-structured transhumance routes.

Source: gazetteng

Speaking at the Continental Learning Forum on Market-Linked Transhumance Models in Abuja, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, said the gathering of regional stakeholders demonstrates a shared determination to build a resilient livestock economy for West Africa. He noted that Nigeria is already undergoing major reforms guided by President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development marking a significant turning point for the sector.

Maiha explained that Nigeria’s focus is on improving veterinary systems, enhancing breeds, and attracting private-sector investment across the entire livestock value chain. He praised AU-IBAR for driving initiatives that are transforming livestock systems not only in Nigeria but across the continent, adding that Nigeria is ready to learn, collaborate, and partner with neighbouring countries for shared prosperity.

He emphasised that the region’s livestock industry holds massive potential, but unlocking it requires systems that are scientifically grounded, economically sound, and socially inclusive. According to him, West Africa can build a future where pastoral mobility strengthens markets, veterinary systems secure livelihoods, and livestock becomes a more powerful driver of national and continental growth.

AU-IBAR Director, Dr Huyam Salih—represented by Prof. Ahmed Elbeltagy—said this forum comes at a time when pastoral systems across Africa are rapidly evolving. He stressed that transforming pastoral corridors into thriving economic corridors is key, enabling safe livestock movement, stronger cross-border disease control, and functional market structures that benefit both herders and private-sector actors.

Salih noted that while ECOWAS has some of the strongest legal frameworks for regulated mobility, from its Transhumance Protocol to the 2018 regulation on cross-border movement, implementation gaps still persist. He added that the forum is about more than policy analysis—it is about shaping a future where mobility is recognised as an economic and ecological system worth strengthening, formalising, and linking to vibrant regional markets.