The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has reinforced its partnership with the Danish government to address excessive antibiotic use in Nigeria’s livestock sector and advance key initiatives under the Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) programme.
Director, Information and Public Relations Department Ben Goong disclosed this in a press statement on Wednesday after the visit of the delegation from the Danish Embassy, led by the Sector Counsellor on Food and Agriculture, Sanne Chipeta, in Abuja.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha while speaking during the meeting stated that reducing antibiotic overuse using antimicrobial resistance (AMR), will enhance food safety and modernise Nigeria’s livestock industry.
Maiha emphasised capacity building as a top priority, highlighting the need for technical training in dairy management, breed improvement, animal health, and feed and fodder policy development.
He acknowledged Denmark’s long-standing expertise in dairy farming and called for the expansion of Denmark’s large dairy farm in Kaduna into a regional training center for Nigerian farmers and livestock professionals.
“Dairy farm management is far more technical than running a feedlot. We have requested Denmark to expand its Kaduna dairy farm into a training center where Nigerian farmers can learn modern livestock management techniques under local conditions. This will ensure our trainees are well-equipped to manage and improve Nigeria’s dairy sector,” Maiha stated.
Maiha further highlighted the importance of developing a comprehensive feed and fodder policy while also stressing the need to enhance livestock tracing and traceability systems.
He acknowledged the European Union’s leadership in animal identification and tracking, stating that Nigeria aims to leverage this expertise to establish a robust system for monitoring livestock movement.
The Minister stressed that adopting such measures would help curb cattle rustling and theft, ensuring greater security within the livestock sector.
“Beyond that, we want to have a system that provides verifiable and accurate data on our livestock, particularly cattle, so we can efficiently manage and protect our national herd,” he added.
The Sector Counsellor on Food and Agriculture at the Danish Embassy reaffirmed Denmark’s commitment to supporting the newly established Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
She stated that Denmark looks forward to seamlessly transitioning ongoing projects into the new ministry to further enhance collaboration and strengthen achievements in Nigeria’s livestock sector.
“We are making steady progress with this project and see great value in leveraging Danish expertise to further strengthen livestock production in Nigeria,” Chipeta stated.
