By Abdullahi Lukman
Former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria(INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has proposed an urgent establishment of regional gene banks and artificial insemination laboratories to revolutionize Nigeria’s livestock sector.
He spoke at the University of Ilorin’s Distinguished Personality Lecture Series, held in honour of Senator Saliu Mustapha, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
Professor Jega, who is Special Adviser to the President on Livestock Reforms, warned that continued neglect of the sector risks severe protein deficiency, increased rural poverty, and heightened insecurity across the nation.
Speaking at the event, Senator Mustapha urged governments to allocate at least 10 per cent of their budgets to agriculture, aligning with the Maputo Declaration.
He encouraged students to consider livestock farming as a viable career.
Jega’s lecture, titled “The Political Economy of Livestock Development in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects,” outlined a comprehensive national livestock transformation strategy.
He recommended the creation of regional livestock gene banks, which would support artificial insemination efforts to significantly boost milk yields from one litre to at least 10 litres per cow daily by 2030.
He also stressed the need for disease-resistant poultry breeds, mobile veterinary brigades, and robust surveillance systems to combat animal-borne diseases.
For effective coverage of the nation’s expansive landscape, Jega proposed the establishment of National Livestock Industrial Zones in the six geopolitical regions of Nigeria.
According to him, each zone will have export-certified abattoirs, cold-chain dairy clusters, and leather parks, all powered by renewable energy.
On socio-ecological conflict mitigation, Jega noted that adopting climate-smart ranching and delineating grazing reserves through a National Ranching Corridor System could reduce farmer-herder clashes by up to 70 per cent within five years.
To enhance productivity, Jega recommended “Operation Feed Abundance,” a feed security initiative focused on expanding maize and soya feed mills in key agricultural states.
The strategy, according to him, includes support for women and youth through a National Livestock Entrepreneurship Scheme, offering single-digit loans and market access via digital platforms like
Livestock .
For export development, he also suggested Special Livestock Export Zones in Lagos, Kano, and Jos, equipped with halal and kosher certification centres and ECOWAS-compliant quarantine facilities.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole, represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services) Professor Adisa Fawole, praised Jega’s timely discourse, noting its alignment with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Professor Adedoyin Jolade Omeda, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, also remarked on the topic’s relevance to Nigeria’s current economic and security challenges.
Jega concluded by emphasizing the critical urgency of these actions, stating, “This is not just another policy document. It is a national imperative.
The time for half-measures has passed. We must transform livestock from a crisis point to a pillar of prosperity.”
