Livestock Ministry Moves to Sync Sector Agenda With Nigeria’s New Development Plan

Fresh momentum is building around Nigeria’s livestock sector as the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development signals a decisive shift to align its policies and programmes with the country’s new national development blueprint. The move, officials say, is designed to unlock the sector’s vast economic potential and position it as a stronger driver of growth over the coming years.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, made the commitment during a high-level management retreat in Abuja, where senior officials of the ministry gathered to fine-tune strategies ahead of the Medium Term National Development Plan covering 2026 to 2030. The three-day session focused on sharpening priorities and ensuring that every intervention in the sector speaks directly to national economic goals.

Maiha stressed that meaningful progress would only come from coordinated action and clear direction. According to him, livestock development can no longer operate in isolation if it is to deliver jobs, food security and export value at scale. Stronger animal breeds, reliable feed systems and effective disease control, he noted, must go hand in hand with efforts to maintain peace and stability in livestock-producing communities. Without security, he warned, even the most well-designed policies would struggle to deliver results.

Discussions at the retreat centred on preparing the ministry to play a more strategic role under the new development plan. Officials examined how ongoing and proposed projects could be reshaped to deliver measurable outcomes, while avoiding duplication across departments and agencies. Stakeholders from the national planning system joined the talks, reinforcing the push for closer coordination across government.

Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, described the retreat as a critical moment for internal alignment. She explained that management staff were tasked with studying the national development framework in detail and clearly defining the responsibilities of the ministry and its parastatals. Greater emphasis, she said, was being placed on interventions that can be tracked, evaluated and directly linked to national targets.

Attention also turned to translating long-term vision into practical action. The National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy, a ten-year roadmap for the sector, was reviewed with a focus on turning its broad goals into costed and implementable programmes. The strategy aims to reshape the livestock industry into a modern, market-oriented and climate-resilient sector, while remaining sensitive to conflict dynamics and contributing meaningfully to food security and economic expansion.

Directors, heads of agencies under the ministry, officials from the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as well as senior aides to the minister, took part in the retreat. Their participation underscored a growing consensus that livestock development must be fully woven into Nigeria’s wider economic planning if its promise is to be realised.