The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) has unveiled a new partnership framework for the establishment of specialised Livestock Development Centres across Nigeria, with states, private investors and producer cooperatives expected to play key roles in developing the facilities.
Under the framework, participating states will identify livestock species or value chains that best match their agro-ecological conditions, available resources and market opportunities, following consultations with farmers, community leaders and other stakeholders.
The Federal Government will provide technical standards, coordination, biosecurity and regulatory oversight, while states will provide land, infrastructure and community support. Private investors and producer cooperatives will finance and operate the commercial activities.
The ministry clarified that the centres will not operate as government-owned farms, but as commercially driven hubs covering activities such as feed production, breeding, veterinary services, animal health, processing, cold-chain logistics, hides and skins and other livestock-related businesses.
The initiative is being promoted as a key mechanism for implementing the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), which seeks to increase the livestock sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP from about $32 billion to at least $74 billion by 2035.
The ministry said state-level interest in livestock development has increased significantly since the creation of the FMLD in July 2024. At the time, only three states had dedicated livestock ministries, compared with 20 states currently operating such ministries, while others coordinate livestock activities through their agriculture ministries.
Several projects were cited as examples of the emerging model, including a 15,000-hectare cattle, dairy and leather centre in Ubahu-Nkanu East, Enugu State; MilkyWay Dairy in Bokkos, Plateau State; a 900-hectare goat ranch in Vandeikya, Benue State; and a proposed ₦120 billion livestock centre in Gombe State.
Other planned facilities include the Mafa Livestock Development Village in Borno State, as well as pig-focused centres in Yandev, Benue State; Okpuje, Enugu State; and Kachia, Kaduna State.
The ministry said the framework is also intended to address Nigeria’s longstanding imbalance in livestock production and consumption. Northern states hold a significant share of the country’s livestock, while much of the demand is concentrated in the South, resulting in the movement of animals over distances exceeding 1,000 kilometres.
According to the ministry, developing livestock enterprises around the comparative advantages of individual states could reduce the need for long-distance animal movement while improving security, efficiency and market access.
The framework assigns specific responsibilities to each stakeholder. The Federal Government will establish standards, biosecurity and traceability systems and facilitate investment, while states will oversee land allocation, infrastructure, security coordination and community engagement.
Private investors, meanwhile, are expected to finance, construct and operate commercially viable facilities within the centres.
The ministry also said the centres would create opportunities for women and young people to participate as entrepreneurs, service providers and value-addition operators, rather than limiting their involvement to short-term training programmes.
The Federal Government said the partnership model is designed to translate Nigeria’s livestock development ambitions into local, commercially viable investment opportunities, while strengthening food security, creating employment, supporting rural development and reducing farmer-herder conflicts.
