By Gabriel Ewepu

BENIN- IN a landmark initiative to address challenges in the livestock sector, Edo State proudly announced the launch of the National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) during the 5th National Animal Husbandry Development Committee (NAHDC) meeting. The state-of-the-art system is designed to boost domestic livestock production, ensuring affordability and fostering harmony between crop farmers and livestock producers.

Governor Godwin Obaseki, represented by Stephen Idehenre, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, stated, “The agricultural sector requires extensive coordination for effective and efficient resources utilization. This identification system is a significant step towards resolving the persistent farmers-herders crisis in the country.”

Employing forgery-proof laser-marked ear tags for visual livestock identification, NAITS further ensures authenticity with corresponding digital records maintained via the Ranch.ID suite of applications, including a mobile app for data recording and a desktop dashboard for comprehensive analysis.

This transformative initiative is a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, prominent cattle breeders associations in Nigeria, and Megacorp Nigeria Limited.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, emphasized the importance of the livestock sector. “It accounts for over 40% of our agricultural GDP and 33% of the world’s protein intake, supporting over one billion individuals globally,” he remarked. He further elucidated the drive behind NAITS, highlighting its role in curbing livestock rustling in the country and boosting overall sector productivity.

Mr. Uche Ononye, COO of Megacorp, highlighted the immense benefits of verifiable data in accelerating the growth of the domestic livestock sector. He praised the Ranch.ID solution as “a Nigerian-built product addressing a Nigerian problem” and lauded Edo State’s progressive approach to technology, particularly applauding Governor Obaseki’s leadership.

In anticipation of the rollout, Edo State, in collaboration with Megacorp, has initiated training programs for animal handlers, taggers, and enumerators, ensuring effective and smooth implementation. With this added commitment, the state government reaffirms its dedication to the project’s success, with extensive sensitization of frontline stakeholders and livestock tagging set to commence shortly.