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By Agabaidu C. Jideani
As the Director General of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the dynamic evolution of Nigeria’s economic landscape. Today, I am thrilled to share my insights on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visionary Livestock Development Reforms, a cornerstone of the Renewed Hope Agenda that promises to revolutionize our agricultural sector. These reforms, coupled with ACCI’s Annual National Summit, Trade Fair, and Exhibition on Livestock Development, represent a synergistic pathway to sustainable growth, food security, and inclusive prosperity for all Nigerians. In this article, I will delve into the technical intricacies of these initiatives, highlighting their positives and the immense gains they hold for our nation.
President Tinubu’s Livestock Development Reforms: A Technical Blueprint for Transformation
President Tinubu’s administration has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to revitalizing Nigeria’s livestock sector, which contributes approximately 1.8% to the country’s GDP and employs over 30% of the rural population. In July 2024, the President inaugurated the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee (PLRIC), Chaired by the President himself and co-chaired by the esteemed Professor Attahiru Jega, to implement comprehensive reforms aimed at overcoming longstanding obstacles to agricultural productivity.
This committee, alongside the newly established Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD), marks a pivotal shift from fragmented approaches to a holistic, integrated strategy.
At the core of these reforms is the promotion of modern ranching systems, which replace open grazing with controlled environments equipped with advanced feedlots, water management infrastructure, and biosecurity measures. This transition not only minimizes land degradation, estimated to cost Nigeria billions annually in soil erosion and biodiversity loss but also enhances animal health through systematic vaccination programs and veterinary services.
The reforms emphasize public-private partnerships (PPPs) to deploy cutting-edge technologies, such as precision livestock farming tools that utilize IoT sensors for real-time monitoring of animal welfare, feed efficiency, and disease outbreaks.
Furthermore, the administration’s focus on value chain optimization is technically robust. By investing in cold chain logistics, abattoir modernization, and processing facilities, the reforms aim to reduce post-harvest losses from the current 40% to under 10%, thereby increasing the shelf life of dairy, meat, and leather products.
Vaccine development initiatives, in collaboration with institutions like the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), target prevalent diseases (including foot-and-mouth disease and others), potentially boosting herd productivity by 25-30%. Recent consultative workshops and other consultative engagements have underscored the government’s pledge to transform herder-farmer conflicts into economic opportunities through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms as championed by the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce Dispute Resolution Center (NCCDRC) hosted at the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and community-based ranching models.
By prioritizing inclusive policies that empower smallholder farmers, over 80% of whom are women and youth, the initiatives ensure equitable access to credit facilities like the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, technical training, and market linkages. The environmental sustainability angle is equally compelling, with mandates for climate-smart practices such as regenerative grazing and biogas production from livestock waste, aligning with Nigeria’s commitments under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.
The positives are manifold: enhanced food and nutrition security and sovereignty through increased protein availability, job creation in agro-processing (projected at 500,000 new roles by 2030), and foreign exchange earnings from exports of halal-certified meat and leather goods. President Tinubu’s leadership in this domain is not just reformative but revolutionary, positioning Nigeria as a regional powerhouse in livestock production.
The ACCI Livestock Development Summit: A Catalyst for Innovation and Collaboration
Building on the momentum of these reforms, ACCI is working with the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee (PLRIC), the Delivery Unit of the Office of the Vice President, First Lady Concepts Consulting to establish and implement a Permanent Dialogue Mechanism (PDM) for the sector under the auspices of the Annual National Summit, Trade Fair, and Exhibition on Livestock Development, set to debut from December 1–6, 2025, at the state-of-the-art Adetokunbo Kayode SAN Trade and Convention Center in Abuja.
This six-day event, co-created by stakeholders is designed as a multifaceted platform to accelerate the Renewed Hope Agenda’s livestock objectives.
The Summit’s structure is technically sophisticated, integrating concurrent components to maximize stakeholder engagement. The Policy Summit, running daily, will feature plenary sessions and expert panels delving into the National Livestock Policy, ranching systems, biosecurity protocols, and value chain financing. Technical workshops (Days 4–6) will provide hands-on training in animal husbandry, feed formulation using locally sourced agro-byproducts, and digital traceability systems compliant with international standards like GS1 barcoding.
A standout feature is the ongoing Trade Fair and Exhibition (Days 1–6), showcasing over 200 booths with innovations in livestock equipment, such as automated milking machines and AI-driven disease detection tools, and products across the value chain, from poultry to dairy and leather. B2B and B2G deal rooms will facilitate real-time negotiations, potentially unlocking investments worth N8 billion in the inaugural edition alone.
Sustainability is embedded as a core pillar, with a dedicated Forum (Days 3–4) exploring climate-resilient practices like low-emission feed additives and renewable energy integration (e.g., solar-powered abattoirs). The Conflict Resolution Forum (Day 3) will leverage ACCI’s Dispute Resolution Centre to model ADR frameworks, promoting peaceful coexistence and uninterrupted production. Empowering the next generation, the Youth and Women in Agribusiness Forum (Day 5) will offer mentorship and startup pitches, while the Livestock Innovation Challenge (Day 6) rewards scalable solutions in vaccine development and sustainable breeding, with grants up to N50 million.
Cultural and community engagement elements, including daily livestock shows of indigenous breeds like Sokoto Gudali cattle, will celebrate Nigeria’s rich heritage while educating attendees on modern integrations. Hybrid participation ensures accessibility, with virtual platforms streaming sessions to reach rural farmers nationwide.
The positives of this Summit are profound. It serves as a permanent dialogue mechanism for peer review and stakeholder alignment, bridging the public and private sectors through PPPs. By incorporating vaccine development, focusing on localized production to cut import costs by 50%, and international engagement with partners like FAO and AU-IBAR, the event will enhance Nigeria’s global competitiveness. ACCI’s advocacy role will mobilize private sector investments, targeting several capital commitments for reforms, while fostering technology adoption to increase productivity by 20-30%.
Gains for Nigeria and Nigerians: A Multi-Dimensional Impact
The synergy between President Tinubu’s reforms and the ACCI Summit promises exponential gains for Nigeria and its people. Economically, the livestock sector could contribute up to 5% of GDP by 2030, generating foreign exchange through exports to markets in the Middle East and Europe, where demand for halal products exceeds $1 trillion annually. Smallholder farmers will benefit from improved market access, with digital platforms reducing middlemen and ensuring fair pricing, potentially increasing incomes by 40% and about 20,000 jobs could be created within the first five years.
Socially, the reforms and Summit address herder-farmer conflicts, which have displaced millions and cost lives; ADR frameworks could reduce incidents by 25% within two years, fostering national unity. Food and nutrition security will soar, supporting the President’s directive for an egg and a cup of milk daily for school children, combating malnutrition affecting 37% of under-fives and enhancing cognitive development, and fighting the scourge of stunted growth amongst Nigerian children.
Environmentally, sustainability measures will mitigate climate impacts, with regenerative practices sequestering carbon and conserving water resources amid Nigeria’s vulnerability to desertification. Youth and women, comprising 70% of the agricultural workforce, stand to gain through empowerment programs, creating 1.5 million jobs in agribusiness and reducing urban migration.
Technically, the initiatives will drive innovation: vaccine advancements could halve disease losses (currently N100 billion yearly), while precision farming boosts yields by optimizing feed conversion ratios to 1.5:1 in poultry. International engagement will attract FDI, with the Summit serving as a gateway for technology transfer and trade pacts under AfCFTA.
Conclusion: A Call to Collective Action
As Director General of ACCI, I am profoundly optimistic about President Tinubu’s Livestock Development Reforms and our annual Summit. This is not merely an event but a movement toward a prosperous, united Nigeria. I urge all stakeholders, government, private sector, civil society, and international partners, to join us in December 2025. Together, we can harness the livestock sector’s untapped potential, turning challenges into triumphs for generations to come. For more details, visit the ACCI website or contact our Trade Promotion Centre. Let’s build a Renewed Hope that endures.
Jideani is the Director General, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry
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