Nigeria can feed Africa – NIAS

The Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) has commended the federal government’s closure of the country’s land borders with Republic of Benin, Niger and Cameroon, saying Nigeria has the potential, resources, human and natural that can be harnessed to feed the nation and other African countries.

The Registrar, Prof. Eustace A. Iyayi, stated this in Abuja during a press conference to explain the impact of the border closure on Nigeria Livestock subsector, Food security and Employment Generation.

Prof. Iyayi no country will tolerate the abuse of it borders by its neighbours, pointing out that the closure has saved the Nigeria local poultry industry about N50 billion.

He that the closure has not only created market for the poultry sector but has also created jobs.

According to him, “The Institute supports the closure of the borders as directed by the president because it has imparted positively on the local poultry industry. The multiplier effect is seen in the upsurge in the operations along the value chains like supply of inputs, storage facilities, transportation/logistics and value addition.

“Given Nigeria’s huge total feed output of 5.3million metirc tons in 2016, 80% of which was attributable to the poultry industry with an estimated 180 million poultry population and annual output in excess of 700,000 metric of eggs and 300,000 metric tons of meat, one can only imagine the several hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of direct and indirect jobs created by the industry in its entire value chains in conjunction with its related ancillaries.

“It is clear that this subsector which is the most commercialised of all Nigeria’s agricultural subsectors with a current net worth N1.6 trillion will pay a significant role in contributing to the current government’s efforts to create 100 million jobs,” he said.

He said the institute has been regulating the Feed mill operations and premises hatchery operations and day old chic market.

“At present over 20 feed Mills including most of the major industrial feed Mills across the six geopolitical zones have been registered by the Institute. The review of the Breeder farm regulation will be a platform to regulate activities in this area.

“Other regulatory activities in other livestock farms, especially dairy farms abattoir and milk processing facilities will commence in the coming year,” he said.

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