AS I was saying, let’s continue with our concentration on a promised serial on the limitless opportunities that the Livestock Subsector offers all of us instead of the bugbear of consequences of the planned #August 1-10 Peaceful Protest on Hardship” that some politically exposed people are disparaging instead of managing through some strategic public relations mechanism.
And here is the thing, instead of blaming phantom foreign interests and enemies, some of the president’s men and women should engage in critical thinking such as studying afresh what some experts and public intellectuals have suggested on how to promote Agriculture value chain that can make some difference at this time. For instance, in 2017, as Chairman of Diamond Jubilee Public Lecture, Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Wale Omole, a Professor of Agriculture, former Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Chairman of The Guardian Editorial Board, noted in his opening remark on December 4, 2017:
“…It is obvious that industrialisation in Nigeria will depend on Agriculture. Most needed at this point in time will be the establishment of huge Agro Industrial Parks by each state, funded through diligently designed Public Private Partnerships and dynamic investment formats in comprehensive and appropriate agricultural operations for commodities; processing, food chain, value chain, waste recycling, product conversion, manufacturing, etc. within the Park, developed to accommodate modern human settlements of quality housing, organic and comprehensive education, power system, research and on-farm applications, effective transportation system, etc to create an economically wealthy country totally utilising all forms of modern technology…”
What Omole suggested almost seven years ago is that instead of rushing to the legislature to get more appropriations for security votes to fight growing insecurity and associated threats, they should invite experts on how to actualise ‘Agriculture Value Chain Opportunities for Sustainable Development…’ at this time when mere possession of university degree (certificates) can’t guarantee any white-collar jobs anywhere. This is why the opportunities in the Livestock Sector should not be demonised as an exclusive Fulani Herdsmen’s Business. There are limitless opportunities for the nation and here are some of the reasons.
In an overview of the World Bank, the livestock sector is a pillar of the global food system and a contributor to poverty reduction, food security and agricultural development. According to the FAO, livestock contributes 40% of the global value of agricultural output and supports the livelihoods and food and nutrition security of almost 1.3 billion people.
At the same time, there is wide scope to improve livestock sector practices so that they are more sustainable, more equitable, and pose less risk to animal and human health.
Accordingly, Livestock play a major role in sustainable food systems—for example, manure is a critical source of natural fertilizer, while livestock used as draft animals can help boost productivity in regions where there is low mechanisation. Livestock are important assets for vulnerable communities. Globally, around 500 million pastoralists rely on livestock herding for food, income, and as a store of wealth, collateral or safety net in times of need.
Locally, livestock production systems have the potential to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and to carbon sequestration in soils and biomass. In harsh environments, such as mountains and dry lands, livestock is often the only way to sustainably convert natural resources into food, fiber, and work power for local communities.
Increasing incomes, changing diets, and population growth have led to increased demand and made the livestock sector one of the fastest growing agricultural sub-sectors in middle- and low-income countries. This represents a major opportunity for smallholders, agribusiness, and job creators throughout the livestock supply chain.
However, if not properly managed, this growth risks accentuating sustainability issues that span equity, environmental impacts, and public health. The transformations that accompany growth are an opportunity to move the livestock sector toward more sustainable development and improved contribution to human diets. Productivity levels and practices can be managed in ways that address adverse impacts on land, water, and the environment, as well as the risks posed to animal and human health.
Moving towards environmental sustainability in the livestock sector
The World Bank has consistently noted that it is committed to improving the livestock sector’s contribution to sustainable development. The Bank supports countries to manage and respond to growing demand for animal protein in ways that are significantly less harmful for the environment and contribute significantly less to climate change.
Besides, improved livestock management is an integral part of the “One Health” approach, which seeks to optimise human, animal, and planetary health. As part of its commitment to helping countries build sustainable, nutritious food systems, the World Bank is moving its livestock investments towards greater sustainability and climate-smart outcomes. All investments are designed with mitigation and adaptation in mind, and an average of 61% of livestock financing over the last three years is directly tied to climate co-benefits (up from 55% in the previous period).
Safeguarding Animal, Human and Ecosystem Health: One Health at the World…
Safeguarding Animal, Human and Ecosystem Health
Bank-supported projects seek to improve various dimensions of livestock systems and value chains, using levers such as efficiency gains, balancing of animal rations and sustainable sourcing of feeds, carbon sequestration in agricultural landscapes, energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources, animal health and welfare, and better manure management.
What is more, according to FAO, livestock contributes 40% of the global value of agricultural output and supports the livelihoods and food and nutrition security of almost 1.3 billion people.
Facts have however revealed that Nigeria hasn’t been able to benefit from this Livestock subsector in Agriculture value chain opportunities. In his opening remark at the inauguration of the committee that produced the Blueprint that led to the where we are through a two-day Conference on Livestock in February, 2023, the then Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje said, “the national livestock transformation plan (NLTP) proposed by the federal government (under President Muhammadu Buhari) to tackle the problem has not yielded results because of “inadequate political leadership”.
Then the Conference had drawn the attention of political leaders to the challenges that have deprived the nation from benefiting from the lucrative business. And so consequently, the participants called on the United Nations (UN) Agencies, Bilateral institutions, regional organizations (AU and ECOWAS), national and international CSOs and other support organisations to increase the level of funding and support to the government of Nigeria in mitigating the Impact of climate change.
They wanted authorities in the country to address challenges of technology gaps, poverty and skills gap and improve people’s livelihoods. They further stressed the need to support agricultural and pastoralist organisations, cooperative societies and relevant producer associations and professional bodies for improved productivity.
Among the resolutions of the experts including specialists in range management, veterinary services, economics, history, cultural and media studies, climate change, natural resources management, governance and conflict management, was the need to revisit and review sub-national, national and regional laws, legislations and policies to make applicable reforms for improving Livestock production and addressing conflicts. The suggestions include the need to adopt Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices, including the adoption of Integrated approach to managing landscapes of croplands, rangelands, forests and fisheries that address the Interlinks between the quest for food security and mitigation of the challenges of climate change.
They also harped on the need to strengthen and improve the security architecture for the prevention of violent crimes including cattle rustling, raiding of villages, kidnapping of persons for ransom and trade in illicit arms and drugs. They also addressed the need to strengthen the process of litigation for more effective dispensation of justice and handling of the various litigations relating to violent crimes and other perpetrators of violent conflicts.
In the same vein, they urged ”political leaders at all levels to refrain from politicising the issue of farmer-herder conflicts and other associated issues while pursuing inclusive processes that will strengthen unity and cooperation in the country.”
The issues are aptly deconstructed in the blueprint and report submitted to the president in September, 2023. What is needed therefore in Africa’s most populous country is ‘sustainable livestock management’.
According to experts, sustainable livestock farming is the management of animals in a way that meets current demands while not jeopardising the ability of future generations to do the same. It places a strong emphasis on sustainable practices, animal welfare, and financial viability. This strategy is essential because it tackles food security, limits resource depletion, lowers greenhouse gas emissions and supports the ethical treatment of animals—all of which are essential for a healthy planet and balanced ecosystems.
Nigeria’s estimated population of various species of livestock resources is 21.1 million Cattle, 48.6 million Sheep, 76.3 million Goats, 163 million Chickens, and 1.8 million pigs. The sector comprising both commercial and indigenous animals is conservatively valued at over fifty trillion naira and accounts for about 25% and 5.8% of Nigeria’s agricultural GDP and National GDP respectively. But the report to the authorities in Nigeria indicates that “despite this and robust population of livestock resources, majority of livestock in Nigeria are kept by subsistence farmers whose animals and animal products cannot satisfy the huge demand by the population.
In preparing the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project, the World Bank assessed the contribution of livestock to Nigeria’s economy. It is considered the latest and most relevant baseline that was carried out in the Sector. And was therefore adopted in some of the analysis in the preparation of the Blueprint.
According to the World Bank (2022) Project Appraisal Document, Report for the L-PRES, the livestock sector is vital to Nigeria’s socio-economic development. It was reported that about forty-two (42%) of Nigeria’s population own at least one type of livestock, 30 per cent of the population mainly the poor, eke out a living directly from livestock production, while an estimated five (5) million people are productively engaged in upstream segments of the livestock value chain. For the poor, livestock enable asset accumulation, serve as a store of value and provide buffers and resilience against shocks such as crop failure, drought, and family emergencies.
The sector is also important to the country’s food and nutrition security as it is a major source of foods that in high nutritional value and with micronutrients (critical to children’s cognitive and physical development) that supplement Nigeria’s typically low-quality basal diets. Livestock recycle nutrients, including from crop residues, and their manure replenishes soil fertility, particularly on the farms of poor smallholders, may of which are degraded and their draught power is relied upon for cultivation and transporting farm produce to the markets. Over the past 20 years, the expanding livestock sector has made important contributions to poverty reduction, especially in rural areas. So, a time for Agro Industrial Parks is now!
To be continued…..
- Oloja is editor of The Guardian newspaper and his column, Inside Stuff, runs on the back page of the newspaper on Sundays. The column appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Mondays.