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Nigeria earns about $1.2bn annually through the export of hides and skin from the livestock sector, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria declared on Sunday.
MACBAN, an advocacy group centred on promoting the welfare of pastoralists in Nigeria, said the country’s livestock sector is currently valued at over N33tn, adding that with the envisaged new investments, it is estimated to grow to over N75tn in a few years.
The association’s President, Othman Ngelzarma, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja, welcomed the creation of a new Ministry of Livestock Development and refuted claims that the initiative was an attempt to take other people’s land by force to resettle pastoralists.
On July 9, 2024, President Bola Tinubu approved the creation of a new Ministry of Livestock Development. He also inaugurated the Renewed Hope livestock reform implementation committee.
The committee was mandated to provide sector-focused solutions to the age-long farmers-herders crisis.
At the press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, Ngelzarma said, “We welcome the creation of this very important ministry that contributes 10 per cent of Gross Domestic Product to Nigeria’s non-oil sector and 30 per cent of agricultural GDP. We salute the President for creating a ministry for an industry that employs over 20 million Nigerians.”
Commenting on the income generation of the sector, the MACBAN president said, “For instance, the Sokoto red skin goat leather is the most valuable and expensive in the world, the Gucci and Armani bags are a good testament to this.
“Nigeria earns about $1.2bn annually for the export of hides and skin. It is projected that Nigeria will earn more than ten times what it earns now in foreign exchange.”
He stated that like the newly created blue economy, a renewed livestock production system would save Nigeria billions of dollars in foreign exchange from the importation of powdered milk and other livestock products.
“The country will also be positioned to earn billions of dollars in the export of leather, beef, and other livestock-related value chain products.
“As it is today, it is a sector that employs Nigerians cutting across tribes and religions, some as butchers, transporters, tax collectors, dairy/beef producers, etc. After all, when we talk of livestock, it goes beyond cows. We are talking of pigs, goats, sheep, fish, donkeys, camels, etc,” Ngelzarma stated.
MACBAN, however, expressed disappointment by the comments of some persons in several interviews granted in the media insinuating that the livestock ministry is a Fulani thing and also as an attempt to take other people’s land by force to resettle pastoralists.
“We all marvel at the sight of modern dairy farms in other climes and we have abundant natural resources to be like the developed world if only both government and the private sector can come together to invest in the needed infrastructure and delivery of essential services in education, healthcare, veterinary services, extension services, access to information and training to provide needed skills and capacity to transform from traditional to a modern livestock production system.
“Nigeria must learn from global best practices. Countries like Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand have successfully leveraged dedicated agricultural and livestock ministries to transform their economies. We must learn from them and tailor it to suit our unique context ensuring sustainable growth and development,” the MACBAN president stated.
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