Nigeria’s livestock sector took a major step toward modernization on Thursday as the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) convened a multi-stakeholder workshop in Abuja to validate the National Livestock Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Framework and harmonize the country’s livestock baseline data.
Held at The Envoy Hotel, the workshop brought together government officials, state representatives, research institutions, academia, professional bodies, and development partners—including De Olimage Company, the ministry’s M&E technical partner. The gathering is expected to lay the foundation for a unified national livestock information system.
In his opening remarks, the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said the workshop marked a “defining moment” in the transformation of Nigeria’s livestock industry. He stressed that credible, integrated, and harmonized data is indispensable for national planning, disease surveillance, investment readiness, and food security.
“We are entering a new era—an era where decisions in the livestock sector must no longer be based on assumptions, scattered records, or guesswork,” he said. “Without a unified livestock information architecture, we cannot measure the true scale of our national herd, design bankable projects, attract investors, or hold ourselves accountable.”
Maiha noted that although Nigeria generates substantial livestock data through systems such as NLITS, NADIS, pastoral mobility mapping, digitalized grazing reserves, animal health surveillance, and research databases, these datasets remain isolated. This fragmentation, he said, limits their value for policymaking and investment planning.
He described the National Livestock M&E Framework as “the backbone of transformation,” central to achieving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda—particularly in the areas of food security, job creation, revenue generation, improved service delivery, and stable livestock production systems.
“This workshop is not about documents; it is about destiny,” he declared. “We are building a livestock sector that is smart, resilient, financially attractive, and globally competitive.”
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Chinyere Akujobi, echoed the Minister’s message, underscoring the Ministry’s shift toward structured, evidence-based, and results-driven governance. She emphasized the need for every department and agency to align fully with the National Livestock M&E Framework.
“Our activities—whether in animal health, extension services, production, surveillance, or grazing reserve development—must feed into a unified performance system,” she said. “Fragmented reporting weakens our capacity to plan and measure progress.”
Akujobi explained that the Ministry’s performance management structure cascades from presidential priorities to ministerial deliverables, and further down to departmental and individual targets. The new M&E framework, she noted, would enhance strategic coherence and strengthen accountability across all levels.
According to her, harmonized data from NLITS, NADIS, laboratory surveillance systems, and digital mapping platforms will sharpen decision-making, improve resource allocation, and bolster the Ministry’s capacity to attract investments into the livestock sector.
“This workshop gives us the opportunity to refine our baseline methodology, validate indicators, and agree on a reliable reporting architecture,” she said, urging participants to “engage deeply and leave with clarity.”
Both leaders called for strong collaboration among stakeholders as Nigeria works toward establishing a single, trusted source of national livestock data.
With the support of De Olimage Company as technical partner, the Ministry aims to build a performance-driven system where progress is measurable, improvements are trackable, and achievements are visible.
Stakeholders expressed optimism that the initiative will unlock new opportunities for investment, research, disease control, and long-term sector growth.
