Why we are digitising all grazing routes in Nigeria – Minister

Nigeria’s Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, has announced that the government has initiated plans to digitise all grazing reserves and routes throughout the country.

The minister made this known while delivering his presentation at the ministerial press briefing in Abuja on Friday. He said the initiative aims to enhance the effective mapping, monitoring, and management of livestock products nationwide.

“We are digitising the cattle routes to know where they are, who is using them, and whether there is encroachment on those cattle routes,” the minister said.

The minister lamented that there are several untapped opportunities across the livestock value chain they are working to develop so the sector can become one of the major contributors to Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in the country.

The official indicated that the primary objective of the new ministry is to achieve sustainable production of feed and fodder throughout the country. He noted that the ministry will concentrate its efforts on grazing reserves that possess adequate feed and fodder infrastructure.

”We will make sure that each animal in this country has a tag in their ears. We spend about $1.5 million to import animal vaccines into this country. This must stop,” the minister said.

He explained that cattle routes in the country are too porous and that there is a need to digitise the routes, especially the international corridors, so as to effectively control disease outbreaks.

“There are two types of cattle routes. There is one we consider the international corridors. We receive a lot of livestock from our neighbours. We are the biggest market in Africa. We receive cattle from as far as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Niger etc. These cattle routes carve the link into this country and we have started taking inventory,” Mr Maiha said.

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The minister said the government wants to digitise the routes in the country and also create border control because international boundaries are for disease control.

“It is on record that the first cases of anthrax in this country are from our neighbours. If we had these control measures on these international cattle routes, we would be in a position to arrest that situation,” he added.

In 2022, ex-president Muhammadu Buhari restated the need to bring back cattle grazing routes as a way of resolving clashes between herders and farmers.

Many Nigerians criticised that policy, saying herders should instead be made to raise their cattle in ranches.

Significance

On Friday, Mr Maiha said the country‘s livestock sector is valued at over N33 trillion, making it one of the most significant, yet underutilised, economic assets in the country.

He said Nigeria has one of the largest livestock populations in Africa, a rapidly expanding market for meat and dairy products, and a strategic location for agricultural exports.

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However, the Minister noted that poor infrastructure, inadequate investment, outdated production methods, and persistent conflicts between farmers and herders have prevented the sector from reaching its full potential.

Over the past few months of the ministry’s creation, Mr Maiha said it has laid the foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth.

“Our goal is for Nigeria’s livestock sector to become a major contributor to GDP from current 5 per cent to 10 per cent by 2030, creating millions of jobs, and producing sufficient meat, dairy, and other animal products to not only meet domestic demand but also compete in the global market,” the minister said.