The Federal Government is charting a new course for Nigeria’s livestock industry, focusing on data-driven policies and commercially oriented reforms, as it deepens collaboration with Botswana, one of Africa’s leading beef exporters.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said the government is determined to replace outdated production systems with structured, evidence-based policies that enhance productivity, strengthen value chains, and create sustainable incomes for millions of farmers. Speaking in Abuja during a courtesy visit by Philda Nani Kereng, Botswana’s high commissioner to Nigeria, Maiha described Botswana’s livestock model as a benchmark for long-term sector transformation.
“Nigeria’s scale as Africa’s largest market offers immense opportunities to build a globally competitive livestock industry while learning from Botswana’s expertise in disease control, traceability, and export standards,” he said.
The ministry plans to rehabilitate and modernise 417 grazing reserves across the country, converting them into organised ranching ecosystems. These reforms aim to improve cattle genetics, enhance animal health, boost processing efficiency, and expand market access, positioning livestock as a major contributor to GDP growth, rural employment, and non-oil exports.
Kereng highlighted Botswana’s five-decade success in beef production and export, particularly to Europe, attributing it to deliberate policy choices, strong institutions, enforceable regulations, and comprehensive farmer support. Beef is Botswana’s second-largest revenue earner after diamonds, supported by strict disease control systems, communal land management, targeted veterinary services, and subsidised production inputs.
She identified key areas for bilateral cooperation, including cattle genetics improvement, modern abattoir operations, disease surveillance, veterinary protocols, vaccine production, livestock traceability systems, and sustainable grazing management.
Both Nigeria and Botswana agreed that deepening technical collaboration could accelerate livestock sector reforms, expand export readiness, enhance food security, and create new commercial opportunities for private sector players across the value chain.
