2 weeks Ago By Oluseyi Taiwo-Oguntuase
The Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have created a platform aimed at improving the livelihoods and operating conditions for pastoralists and attracting investors into the livestock sector in Nigeria. Dr. Huyam Salih, the Director, AU-IBAR said that the African Pastoral Market Development (APMD) platform will create jobs, drive growth, and help attract more foreign and local investments into the livestock industry.
Salih who was represented by Professor Ahmed Eibeltagy APMD Project Coordinator, at the APMD’s Technical Work Planning and Stakeholder Engagement Workshop in Abuja said that the existence of APMD’s platform will enhance the contributions of the pastoral farming in Nigeria as well as raise the efficiency of the livestock sector with many projects expected to come into the economy. She reiterated that the platform is meant to achieve strong, comprehensive and sustainable livestock industry growth, with a focus on the quality of cattle and the capacities of farmers and that the strategy supports employment, providing thousands of job opportunities. She described the APMD Platform as a beacon of hope for millions of pastoralists, stressing that, “the launch of the Platform occurs at a pivotal moment, allowing us to address existing challenges.
By promoting collaboration and innovation, we can create sustainable growth opportunities. “This workshop is a crucial step towards developing strategies that empower pastoral communities and facilitate transformation.” She outlined three primary pillars guiding the initiatives as an enabling policy environment, a functional data ecosystem, and private-sector integration.
She expressed gratitude to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their financial backing and strategic collaboration, noting that their ongoing investment in the pastoral livestock value chain is both visionary and impactful, helping to tackle significant challenges and foster sustainable economic growth for pastoral communities throughout the region. “As Nigeria serves as one of our leading countries, I am optimistic that the insights and success stories shared during this workshop will motivate other nations to join our efforts.” Speaking further she said that the APMD Platform Technical Pillar Planning and Stakeholder Engagement workshop brought together experts and key stakeholders from Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon and Chad to chart a transformative path for Africa’s pastoral communities.
According to her, Nigeria and Kenya have been identified as lighthouse countries for the APMD project. She pointed out that the lessons implemented following the introduction of APMD are expected to guide other African nations seeking to enhance their pastoral markets. “The goal is to foster collaboration among pastoral livestock stakeholders and ensure that pastoralists can access more profitable markets while ensuring food security across Africa,” she added.
The Focus Person APMD Nigeria, Musa Ahmed , stated that rising demand has pushed local farmers to produce more animal protein, including cattle, sheep, and goats. To this end, he stated that a marketing platform was required to ensure that cattle farmers had a good income, that domestic market prices were balanced, and that meat was available. He underlined that helping pastoralists will help to provide meat at reasonable rates and close the gap between local production and consumption.
“APMD is a new project initiated by AU- IBAR and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. AU IBAR regards Nigeria and Kenya as lighthouse countries. Nigeria is a market that receives livestock from the Sahel countries.
“Our mission is to empower pastoralists across the country with the skills and training they need to earn market value for their goods. Many people have taken advantage of pastoralists. We must fill the gaps created by the country’s existing shortcomings.
“We want to improve the system so it works better for pastoralists. To accomplish this, we are building on three pillars: policy, data, and the private sector.” According to him, Nigeria’s population is projected to exceed 250 million by 2050, necessitating increased production and productivity of beef cattle, milk, and poultry to meet demand and reduce reliance on imports.
He stated that assisting the pastoral agricultural sector will not only promote the planned expansion and transformation of the livestock sector, but will also boost the supply of low-cost animal protein to the populace..
