The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the federal government have agreed to advance pastoral markets with focus on the enhancement of livestock value chains for sustainable development.
The commitment was revealed at the First African Pastoral Markets Development (APMD) Analytics and Implementers Engagement Workshop in Abuja.
Director of animal husbandry services at the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Winnie Lai Solarin, stressed the need for a supportive environment to bolster the livestock sector.
She emphasised the importance of providing sufficient feed, fodder, and conducive conditions for trading, ranching, and short-distance migrations for livestock.
The director pointed that the initiative would address often-neglected aspects of livestock development, including feed and fodder availability, breeding, and market infrastructure.
Solarin also commended key partners, including the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, for their contributions to the initiative.
Speaking at the workshop, the AU-IBAR director, Dr Huyam Salih, called for innovative strategies to overcome challenges such as climate change, limited market access, and policy gaps.
She outlined the workshop’s three primary objectives as validating pastoral livestock market conditions, establishing key interventions with budget priorities and fostering stakeholder engagement.
Salih also commended the federal government for its collaboration in planning and implementing the initiative and expressed gratitude to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their strategic partnership.
In his remarks, the emir of Nasarawa, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibril, expressed confidence that the initiative could effectively tackle the challenges facing the livestock sector, provided its implementation remains focused and consistent.