The Minister of Livestock Development, Mukhta Maiha, has revealed that Nigeria possesses the untapped potential to generate over N3.2 billion in annual revenue from red meat exports. This disclosure was made during the ministry’s 2026 budget defence session before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Livestock Development.
Despite Nigeria’s vast agricultural resources, the Minister shared a sobering statistic: approximately 65 percent of the livestock currently consumed in the country is imported. This high level of import dependency, the Minister noted, underscores the urgent need for robust investment in the domestic livestock value chain to reverse the trend and transform Nigeria into a major exporter.
“Nigeria has the capacity to be a global leader in the red meat market, much like Brazil and Argentina,” Minister Maiha stated. “However, realizing this N3.2 billion export potential requires a shift from subsistence practices to a commercialized, technology-driven industry.”
The Minister informed the committee that the ministry has faced significant funding hurdles since its establishment in 2024. Out of the N70 billion take-off fund approved in 2024, only N20 billion has been released to date. Furthermore, the Minister noted that none of the N10 billion appropriated as the capital vote for the 2025 fiscal year has been disbursed.
Members of the Joint Committee, led by Chairman Senator Shehu Buba (Bauchi South), expressed “surprise and disgust” at the funding gaps, describing the lack of financial support as “lip service” to the government’s economic diversification agenda.
“You cannot create a ministry of this strategic importance and then woefully fail to fund it,” remarked Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno. “This is inherently contradictory to the President’s ‘Renewed Hope’ vision for a diversified economy.”
To address these challenges and meet export targets, the Ministry of Livestock Development outlined several key initiatives:
- Modernization of Infrastructure: Revamping over 417 grazing reserves and upgrading abattoirs to meet international hygiene and export standards.
- Genetic Improvement: Embarking on a massive genetic upgrade of indigenous breeds to increase milk yields and accelerate beef cattle growth rates.
- Foreign Investment: Leveraging landmark agreements, such as the $2.5 billion trade mission with Brazil’s JBS S.A., to establish modern meat processing plants.
- Job Creation: Targeting the creation of over 500,000 new jobs within the livestock value chain by 2027.
The Committee is seeking an urgent intervention to ensure the ministry is empowered to deliver on its mandate of food security and national revenue growth.
