Reviving Nigeria’s livestock sector: The Botswana model

Published 04 Nov,2020 via The Nation - There has been concern about the state of the livestock industry, valued at N13 trillion. Analysts still see it as one of the most inefficient food-production system in Africa with less focus on new technologies and other factors that can drive the transformation of the sub-sector. They said it was time to revitalise the sector, to handle emerging challenges. Botswana’s success story is what they suggested Nigeria should adopt in terms of product quality, safety, and sustainability, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Nigeria is a major producer of livestock in sub-Saharan Africa. Its cattle population is estimated at 20 million. However, according to analysts, the nation is the largest importer of milk in the region, with an annual bill of $1.3 billion.

While the nation has a larger number of livestock, the Managing Director, Chanan Elo’a Integrated and dairy expert, Mr Udeme Etuk, said there were no large meat processing plants. When compared to Botswana livestock sector with a small number of cattle production which allows its farmers to export their meat, Etuk said the country was still far away from its aspiration.