The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening collaboration with the USDA Food for Progress Nigeria Programme to boost productivity in Nigeria’s poultry and aquaculture sectors.
The partnership is expected to improve market access, strengthen Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) systems, enhance access to finance and address key challenges affecting livestock producers across the country.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, gave the assurance during a meeting with a delegation from the USDA Food for Progress Nigeria Programme, led by Mr. Andrew Musa, in Abuja on August 6, 2026.
Dr. Akujobi described the partnership as an important step towards advancing the Federal Government’s livestock transformation agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She noted that the Ministry has developed key policy frameworks, including the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS) and the Livestock Master Plan, which identify priority areas and critical interventions for the sector.
According to her, aligning development partners’ interventions with these national frameworks would improve coordination, maximise impact and promote sustainable investments in Nigeria’s livestock sector.
The Permanent Secretary stressed the importance of the Ministry’s active involvement throughout the project implementation cycle, including the ongoing baseline study. She noted that the Ministry has extensive data, technical expertise and institutional capacity that could strengthen programme delivery.
To ensure effective implementation, she proposed the establishment of a joint technical working group comprising relevant departments of the Ministry and the USDA Food for Progress Nigeria team to coordinate planning, implementation and monitoring of project activities.
Dr. Akujobi also called for greater attention to Nigeria’s informal poultry sector, gender inclusion, strategic communication and wider geographical coverage to ensure that the benefits of the programme reach more producers across the country.
She further emphasised the importance of strengthening Nigeria’s SPS system to facilitate livestock trade, improve exports and enhance the country’s competitiveness in regional and international markets.
She explained that the Ministry, through its Department of Quality Assurance, Standards and Certification and the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Federation, serves as the competent authority for veterinary certification and import permits in line with international animal health standards.
The Permanent Secretary disclosed that the Ministry has fully automated its veterinary certification processes to improve efficiency, transparency and collaboration with agencies responsible for border control and quarantine services.
Earlier, the Team Lead of the USDA Food for Progress Nigeria Programme, Mr. Andrew Musa, presented the objectives of the four-year programme, which is designed to improve poultry and aquaculture productivity through enhanced access to finance, trade facilitation, institutional strengthening and stronger public-private partnerships.
He said the programme would work closely with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, financial institutions, producers, private-sector operators and other stakeholders to address key constraints affecting productivity and trade across the poultry and aquaculture value chains.
Mr. Musa disclosed that implementation would begin with a comprehensive baseline study to establish performance indicators for measuring the programme’s outcomes. He assured the Ministry of continued consultation and collaboration throughout the programme.
Also speaking, the Director of Agriculture and Food Security at Partners of the Americas, Mr. Gustavo Alvarez, said the initiative aims to improve agricultural productivity, facilitate trade and strengthen cooperation between Nigeria and the United States through technical assistance, capacity building and institutional support.
He explained that the programme would focus on farmer training, improved production practices, access to finance, removal of trade barriers and stronger partnerships across the livestock value chain.
Discussions at the meeting focused on improving access to agricultural finance, strengthening biosecurity and certification systems, addressing non-tariff trade barriers, enhancing animal health services, promoting indigenous poultry production, expanding access to export markets and improving coordination among relevant government agencies.
During the interactive session, Directors of the Ministry welcomed the initiative and called for stronger collaboration with relevant departments from the planning stage, inclusion of indigenous poultry producers, wider geographical representation, integration of existing government datasets and improved institutional coordination.
The meeting ended with both parties reaffirming their commitment to sustained collaboration towards the successful implementation of the programme and the development of Nigeria’s poultry and aquaculture value chains.
