The Federal Government is seeking technical support from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to develop a livestock traceability system that will strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to export meat, honey and other animal products.
The initiative followed discussions between the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and UNIDO on measures to improve animal identification, food safety, laboratory services and certification across the livestock value chain.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Chinyere Akujobi, said an effective traceability system would be critical to Nigeria’s participation in the international livestock trade, as importing countries require evidence that animal products can be tracked throughout the production chain.
“No trading partner will take any piece of meat from you if you don’t have a system capable of tracing livestock and livestock products through the value chain,” she said.
Akujobi, however, stressed that the proposed system should not be designed solely for export markets, noting that improved quality and safety standards must also protect consumers within Nigeria.
“Whatever we are doing should cut across products for both international and domestic markets,” she said.
According to her, the ministry is developing a policy framework for animal identification and traceability and is seeking UNIDO’s technical expertise in infrastructure, software and capacity development.
She said the government was also assessing identification options, including tags and microchips, with consideration for their affordability, availability of equipment and long-term sustainability for farmers.
The ministry is also seeking to strengthen disease control and veterinary services through the establishment of disease-free zones or compartments, training of federal and state veterinary inspectors, improved biosecurity measures and upgraded laboratory facilities.
The UNIDO Regional Programme Manager, Adalberto Vieira, said the organisation could support Nigeria in deploying digital systems for livestock identification and tracking.
He said linking animal identification records to databases would improve animal health management, strengthen consumer confidence and help Nigerian livestock products meet international market requirements.
“UNIDO has successfully worked on livestock identification and traceability systems in other nations. We believe we can support the deployment of digital tracking technology to guarantee animal health, build consumer trust and open doors to related exports,” Vieira said.
UNIDO also expressed readiness to support food safety testing, laboratory development, inspector training and certification.
Vieira said the organisation would assess existing national and regional capacities to identify areas requiring further investment to strengthen Nigeria’s livestock value chain and improve its access to international markets.
