By Peter.
Nigeria is advancing data-driven and commercial reforms in its livestock sector through strengthened ties with Botswana, a leading African beef exporter.
During a courtesy visit to Abuja by Botswana’s High Commissioner Philda Nani Kereng on Friday, December 12, 2025, Minister of Livestock Development Idi Mukhtar Maiha highlighted Botswana’s model—built on decades of strong institutions, disease control, traceability, and farmer support—as inspiration for Nigeria’s transformation.
Maiha emphasized shifting from traditional open grazing to modern systems, including rehabilitating 417 grazing reserves nationwide into organized ranching hubs with improved genetics, health services, processing, and market linkages. These “Renewed Hope Livestock Villages” aim to boost productivity, create rural jobs, reduce farmer-herder conflicts, and grow non-oil exports.
Kereng shared Botswana’s success story: beef ranks as the country’s second-largest revenue source after diamonds, driven by strict veterinary protocols, subsidized inputs, communal land management, and premium access to markets like the EU (duty-free quotas enabling high-value exports despite recent herd declines).
Both nations identified priority cooperation areas: cattle genetics, abattoir modernization, disease surveillance, vaccine development, traceability systems, and sustainable grazing.
This bilateral engagement builds on earlier discussions, signaling Nigeria’s commitment to evidence-based policies that could elevate livestock as a key GDP contributor while enhancing food security and private-sector opportunities.
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