—Over 2bn poultry, millions of cattle, pigs to benefit from Brazil-Nigeria strategic partnership

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — THE Brazil Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, on Tuesday said Nigeria’s livestock sector is entering a new era of transformation under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with fresh commitments to unlock its economic potential through strategic cooperation with Brazil.

Maiha, who stated this at the Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue in Abuja, described the newly created Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, as being uniquely positioned to immediately harness opportunities presented by the new bilateral platform.

According to him: “No ministry today in Nigeria is better placed to express the full meaning of Renewed Hope than the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.”

Maiha outlined a bold vision for the sector, noting that the Renewed Hope Agenda promises to revitalize and secure the future for:

Over 58 million cattle, 124 million goats, 60 million sheep, 9.3 million pigs, and more than 2 billion poultry birds.

“These animals represent not just food sources but livelihoods and employment for millions of Nigerians across the country,” he added.

The Minister mentioned two major focus areas identified as part of Nigeria’s engagement with Brazil:: “Genetic Improvement: Leveraging Brazilian expertise to enhance livestock breeds for higher productivity” and ‘”Animal Health and Disease Control: With Nigeria recently declared Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) free, the Minister said the country will adapt Brazil’s proven models to manage and eliminate livestock diseases nationwide.”

Maiha, who participated in the Brazil-Africa Dialogue in Brasília, emphasized the importance of working closely with Brazilian firms like Rampa and other private sector actors to replicate Brazil’s livestock development success in Nigeria.

He also announced that Nigeria’s National Economic Council has approved a National Livestock Growth Strategy, aimed at increasing the sector’s value from $32 billion to $74 billion within the next five years.

“This ambitious growth plan will be driven by the private sector, following the Brazilian model,” he said.

“We believe that through this roadmap, we can modernize our livestock systems and build a globally competitive, resilient industry.”

The Minister revealed that the government has identified 10 strategic pillars to guide the sector’s transformation, with a clear mandate to ensure both economic and social impact across the value chain.

“We are ready and committed to being part of this Strategic Dialogue Mechanism between the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the Minister declared. “The livestock sector is now poised to deliver on the promises of the Renewed Hope Agenda.”