BY AHMED AKANBI
The Special Adviser to the President on Livestock Development, Prof. Attahiru M. Jega, has said the Presidential Livestock Reforms Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is designed to end subsistence livestock farming and build a commercially viable sector that will create jobs and strengthen food security.
Jega, who is also Co-Chair of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, stated this in a goodwill message delivered at the 9th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture in Abuja on behalf of the Presidency.
The conference themed, “Repositioning Animal Agriculture for Africa’s Food Security and Global Competitiveness,” brought together stakeholders across the continent.
Jega, who was represented by Prof. D. J. U. Kalla, said Africa cannot achieve sustainable food security, improved nutrition and inclusive economic growth without transforming animal agriculture.
“Livestock is deeply woven into Africa’s culture, heritage and economy. Beyond food, cattle, sheep, goats, camels and poultry represent wealth, livelihoods, resilience and social capital for millions of African families,” he stated.
He noted that the sector generates employment and income across breeding, feed, animal health, processing, trade and value addition, describing livestock as “not a peripheral component of African agriculture, but a prime mover of inclusive economic transformation.”
“Our ambition is to unlock the enormous economic potential—the goldmine—of the livestock sector and build a productive, competitive, climate-resilient and commercially viable industry that creates jobs, strengthens food and nutrition security, and drives rural prosperity,” he said.
Jega stressed that the country must move “from subsistence to productivity, from fragmentation to value-chain integration, and from potential to investment and competitiveness.”
He listed key areas for investment to include genetics, animal health, feed and forage, water, research and innovation, infrastructure, value addition and markets.
The presidential aide urged the conference to move “beyond dialogue to action, partnerships and measurable commitments” that translate policy into impact.
“Africa has the livestock resources. Our task is to convert this biological wealth into nutritious food, decent jobs, resilient livelihoods and globally competitive enterprises. Africa must feed Africa—and animal agriculture must be at the fulcrum of that transformation,” Jega concluded.