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Livestock Development Minister Idi Maiha advocates the establishment of a university for livestock development.
The minister also appointed the Nigerian Agricultural Research Council (ARCN) to strengthen research and innovation in that direction.
The minister said when ARCN Executive Secretary Professor Garba Sharubutu led the delegation to his office.
Maiha stressed the need for a specialized livestock academies, questioning whether the country’s current agricultural academies are sufficient to meet Nigeria’s growing population.
“Is our agricultural colleges sufficient to meet our population? We must encourage the establishment of specialized livestock and livestock industries,” he said.
The Minister pointed out the transformation agenda for the livestock sector, pointing to the need for in-depth research, reproductive improvement, disease management and sustainable feeding practices.
“We want to see more focused research on livestock. We must believe in the industry’s ability to drive impactful change. Our priorities include feed and feed development, disease and health management, traceability, and genetic improvements across a variety of species,” he added.
Maiha also stressed the urgent need for the manpower of senior intellectuals to meet the growing expectations of the sector, given the strong capital investment.
He revealed that Nigeria has about 417 grazing reserves that will be converted to public ranches to reduce unlimited cattle movement and improve livestock management.
“We are talking about large-scale remakes in rural areas, and we don’t rely on imports of grass seeds. You have to give us indigenous grass that is nutritious enough, tolerant, drought tolerant and drought tolerant. That’s what we are looking for. If we have ARCN, we have to talk to the market.
“It’s not enough, you get a degree, you’re a professor, and you keep that in your capacity as a rotating chair. Patent. We want patents. We’re reorganizing the livestock sector to create jobs, create wealth and enhance food security. We have a lot of investors coming to participate, and ARCN has to play a central role in this transformation,” he said.
Maiha said that while crop research has developed significantly, livestock research and education must catch up.
“If you look at our agricultural colleges, most people have only one or two departments to focus on livestock. We have to make sure they are equipped to serve the industry,” he said.
