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Experts, farmers, and other stakeholders in the livestock sector met in Abuja to discuss the solution to pasture development and management in the country. This comes on the heels of lingering pasture and fodder problems confronting livestock farmers in the country.
The new Ministry of Livestock Development, through the L-PRES project and other state governments, is working on ways to modernise the sector and ensure sustainable pasture and fodder for the farmers.
Yesterday, several state governments, livestock experts, the World Bank and the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, and other donor agencies met in Abuja to discuss “technologies for sustainable pasture production and management in Nigeria,” organised by L-PRES, a World Bank-funded project under the federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said the conversation on fodder development was a “timely initiative” and “critical to the future of livestock productivity, food security, and peaceful coexistence across our nation.”
“As we confront pressing challenges ranging from overgrazing and climate stress to rising tensions over scarce pasture resources, it has become evident that innovation and collaboration must be our most potent tools.
“The pursuit of sustainable pasture management is not merely an agricultural undertaking; it is a pathway toward environmental stewardship, social stability, and economic resilience,” he said.
Represented by his aide, Dr Ishaq Bello, the minister said the involvement of the local and international stakeholders, from farmers and researchers to policymakers and development partners, reinforces our shared commitment to transforming rangeland management practices in Nigeria’s arid and semi-arid zones.
Dr Sanusi Abubakar, national coordinator of the L-PRES project, said “pasturelands are the backbone of livestock production, yet they face growing threats from overgrazing, land degradation, and climate change.”
He said, “these challenges not only affect productivity but also contribute to conflicts over scarce resources.”
Nigeria, he said, was exploring innovative, climate-smart, and technology-driven solutions to restore and sustainably manage our pasture ecosystems.
What Nigeria wants
The gathering brought together experts, practitioners, and stakeholders from across Nigeria, Israel and World BanK to share knowledge, best practices, and practical tools that can transform pasture production, especially in arid and semi-arid regions.
The focus areas include innovative technologies such as GIS, remote sensing, and precision irrigation; best practices in rangeland and soil health management; commercial models for sustainable pasture enterprises; and policy frameworks to support long-term sustainability.
Israel pledges
Mr Daniel Werner, Head of Foreign Relations and International Cooperation Department of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said Israel is willing to work closely with Nigeria to share some key technological innovations that would modernise the country’s livestock ecosystem under the framework of international cooperation.
He said Israel has, over time, developed pasture technologies, which Nigeria can leverage to increase the productivity of its livestock sector.
Also speaking, Ms. Maya Elnathan, Director of the Multilateral Development Banks unit of the Israeli Ministry of Finance, said her country was committed to helping Nigeria with the necessary technologies that will boost livestock production.
Farmers’ concerns
Livestock farmers welcome the initiative and also call for the sustainable development of a model that will be a win-win situation for the farmers and the investors in pasture and fodder.
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A livestock farmer and the Emir of Nasarawa, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibril, has asked the experts to evolve a model that is sustainable and will encourage adoption by farmers who rely heavily on free pasture over the years.
Jibril, a former Minister of State for Environment, said the project should avoid the mistake the country made with cassava, where a lot of farmers were persuaded by the government to go into the cultivation, but at the end of the day, there were no off-takers, leading to huge losses.
Some of the L-PRES participating states, Borno, Gombe, Kogi, and Plateau have made special appeals to investors to take the opportunities available to invest, as the states have put in place special packages to make their investment safe and profitable.
Borno, for example, offers free land ownership titles for any investors ready to invest in the state’s 180 square kilometres of available grazing lands.
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