FG Targets Private Investment to Restore 38 Livestock Facilities Nationwide

The Federal Government has stepped up plans to breathe new life into 38 dormant livestock facilities across Nigeria, banking on strong partnerships with the private sector to unlock their full potential. Spread across the country’s six geopolitical zones, the facilities are set to be revived through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) aimed at restoring them to productive use.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar, disclosed this in Abuja while addressing participants at a specialised PPP training organised by the ministry. He said many of the facilities—ranging from milk collection and cattle multiplication centres to goat, sheep, and pig breeding hubs—were built more than six decades ago and now require urgent rehabilitation.

According to the minister, adopting a PPP framework offers a faster and more cost-effective path than building new infrastructure from scratch. He described the model as the most practical way to attract private investment, modern expertise, and sustainable management to assets that once played a critical role in the livestock sector.

Mukhtar stressed that well-structured PPP arrangements could drive innovation, create jobs, reduce resource-based conflicts, boost productivity, and improve livelihoods for millions of Nigerians who depend on livestock value chains. He urged participants to ensure the training translates into bankable projects that are economically viable, socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and aligned with national development goals.

Also speaking, a representative of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr. Amanze Okere, explained that PPPs thrive on clear, mutually beneficial agreements. While government provides policy direction and regulatory oversight, he said the private sector brings in financing, technical expertise, operational efficiency, and maintenance capacity.

The training attracted a broad mix of stakeholders, including civil society groups, non-governmental organisations, farmers’ associations, and private sector players, reflecting growing interest in reshaping Nigeria’s livestock industry through collaborative investment models.