FG Targets Methane Cuts With Climate-Smart Livestock Plan

Nigeria’s push to cut greenhouse gas emissions is shifting to the farm gate as the Federal Government places climate-smart livestock production at the heart of its environmental strategy. At a meeting with the International Livestock Research Institute and the GATES Livestock Feed and Nutrition Project team, the Minister of Livestock Development said improved feed and fodder systems will drive both lower emissions and higher productivity across the sector.

The minister explained that methane from ruminant animals is largely linked to poor, high-fibre diets, making better-quality, protein-rich feeds a climate solution as much as an agricultural one. He stressed that properly fed and healthy animals, including local breeds, can perform efficiently, adding that livestock movement across regions is increasingly driven by feed scarcity rather than tradition. Creating feed abundance closer to communities, he said, will naturally reduce migration and related security pressures.

Plans are already underway to expand large-scale fodder production nationwide, backed by solar-powered irrigation, micro earth dams and basic infrastructure within grazing reserves. Six pilot locations  Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory  have been selected for national communal ranches, with land allocations expected before the next rainy season as the government moves from policy to implementation.

Partners from the ILRI GATES project welcomed the direction, pledging full technical support. Programme Leader Dr. Anu Frank-Lawale said the initiative aligns with efforts to promote climate-resilient forages, alternative protein feeds and safer use of crop residues, while ILRI’s Dr. Tunde Amole noted that methane reduction begins with feed choices. Together, the partners say the approach will boost milk production, create jobs, improve farmer incomes and strengthen food security while cutting emissions from Nigeria’s livestock sector.