Emmanuel OchayiThe National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) Baba Ngelzarma, has called on the government to revamp Nigeria’s dairy industry, revealing the $1.7 billion spent yearly on milk imports.
Ngelzarma stated, “The livestock sector has not and never received the needed attention from the government; the only support we have gotten is vaccination of cows.” He went on to emphasize that the livestock sector, which includes production, marketing, transportation, and processing, largely relies on pastoralists, with minimal government involvement.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelNigeria, despite having the largest livestock population in the region, produces less milk due to this neglect. Ngelzarma believes that with the right support, the nation could become a prominent hub for milk exports and other aspects of the livestock industry. He highlighed this during an interview with NAN.
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In his words, “If the sector is well harnessed, it can unlock a lot of employment opportunities in the country, considering its huge investment, foreign exchange, among others.” This perspective highlights the untapped potential for the livestock sector to contribute to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Ngelzarma also addressed the issue of ranching. He argued that ranching, a model borrowed from foreign countries, would be challenging for Nigerian pastoralists to adopt due to their nomadic lifestyle, lack of formal education, and smallholder farming status.
To make ranching a viable option, he stressed the importance of adequate funding and proposed the transformation of grazing reserves into community ranching as a more suitable alternative.
With Nigeria’s dairy industry at a crossroads, Ngelzarma’s insights shed light on the urgent need for government intervention to unlock the full potential of the livestock sector and reduce the country’s dependency on costly milk imports.
Emmanuel Ochayi is a journalist. He is a graduate of the University of Lagos, School of first choice and the nations pride. Emmanuel is keen on exploring writing angles in different areas, including Business, climate change, politics, Education, and others.
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