The Federal Government has restated its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s livestock industry by prioritising animal feed as a key driver of transformation. This was highlighted at the Nigeria Feed and Fodder Partners’ Breakfast Roundtable held in Abuja on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, represented by the Deputy Director, Ranch and Pastoral Resources Development, Mr. Akeem Ibilade, said the government is creating an enabling environment and increasing collaboration with producers, processors, investors, financiers, and research institutions. She explained that these partnerships are aimed at moving feed production to the centre of the livestock development agenda.
Dr. Akujobi noted that Nigeria has the land, livestock resources, skilled manpower, and market potential needed to become West Africa’s Feed Production Capital. According to her, what is required now is a stronger level of alignment and commitment across stakeholders to maximise these opportunities.
She stated that reforms are ongoing under the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy, NL-GAS, with a focus on sustainable feed and fodder systems. She added that the National Animal Feed and Fodder Policy is being pushed forward to reduce national feed deficit and support commercial, year-round forage production.
According to her, Nigeria is gradually adopting structured livestock systems such as ranches and commercial feedlots. She cited the recently launched Wase Grazing Reserve livestock estate as an example of the new direction. “Feed accounts for 60–70 percent of livestock production costs,” she stressed. “Where feed fails, livestock cannot succeed.”
The President of the Nigeria Feed and Fodder Multi-Stakeholder Platform, Prof. Maikano Mohammed Ari, said feed remains central to value-chain competitiveness. Representative of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, Jubabatu Ibrahim, highlighted the World Bank–supported project’s role in boosting productivity, resilience, and commercialization in the sector.
Goodwill messages were delivered by AU-IBAR and Sahel Consulting, both reaffirming support for strengthening Nigeria’s feed and fodder sector. The forum, themed Advancing Sustainable Feed and Fodder Synergy in Nigeria, attracted participants from academia, financial institutions, ABIS Group, development partners, and industry stakeholders.
