Borno reaffirms commitment to livestock development, processing
By Ahmed Kaigama
The Borno Government has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to transform the livestock sector and harness the state’s economic potential.
The State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Kadafur, stated this on Wednesday when the Minister of Livestock Development, Dr Idi Maiha, visited the state to inspect projects under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project.
Kadafur said the partnership would focus on improving livestock production, animal breeding, fisheries, processing and value addition, with a view to positioning Borno as a major livestock investment and export hub.
He said the state had a comparative advantage in livestock production due to its large population of cattle and other animals, as well as its strategic location, which attracts livestock from other parts of Nigeria and Central Africa.
According to him, the government is moving beyond traditional livestock production by promoting value addition, farmer empowerment, clustering and modern breeding programmes.
The minister inspected the Liquid Nitrogen Plant at the Mohammed Lawan College of Agriculture (MOLCA), Maiduguri, established through collaboration between the state government and L-PRES.
Maiha also inspected the Gene Plasm Bank and exotic bulls acquired by the state for cross-breeding and improvement of local cattle breeds.
He expressed satisfaction with the facilities, saying the investments were in line with the Federal Government’s agenda to transform Nigeria’s livestock sector.
The minister also commended the distribution of 3,000 cattle for restocking, saying it would provide raw materials for emerging livestock processing facilities
NAN reports that tihe State Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Dr Makinta Ali, has been coordinating high-level inspections and stakeholder field missions at the facility.
He said the plant has the capacity to produce about 5,000 litres of liquid nitrogen daily, with a storage capacity of 10,000 litres.
He said the facility could generate about N500 million monthly when fully operational.
“The liquid nitrogen is mainly used for semen preservation at the state’s Artificial Insemination Centre, supporting livestock genetic improvement and crossbreeding programmes.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Livestock Development, Alhaji Tijjani Mohammed, disclosed plans to establish a modern livestock processing industry through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
He said the proposed abattoir would have the capacity to process about 300 cattle and 500 goats and sheep daily, subject to technical and financial scrutiny.NAN
