The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, under the leadership of Honourable Minister Idi Mukthar Maiha, has completed a draft Standard Operating Procedure designed to form the crux of Nigeria’s much-anticipated national code of practice for apiculture.
The announcement was made during the World Bee Day celebration and the 6th Nigerian Youth Beekeepers Summit on Tuesday in Abuja.
Speaking during his address, Minister Maiha declared that this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) “has been drafted and is now awaiting review and validation,” marking a milestone toward Nigeria’s unified code of practice for beekeeping.
Crafted to sharpen the industry’s edge, the SOP lays the groundwork for elevating honey quality and consistency across the nation. It will form the crux of best-practice guidelines authoritatively setting out how apiaries should operate, how hives are managed, and how harvest and post-harvest processes must be handled to safeguard product integrity and consumer trust.
Minister Maiha energized the gathering by urging the Nigeria Apiculture Platform, Youths for Apiculture Initiative and other key stakeholders to dive into the review process. “Your expertise will refine this framework so it truly reflects our realities in the field,” he said, underscoring that only through broad collaboration can the final SOP capture every nuance of local beekeeping.
Reaffirming his ministry’s commitment, Minister Maiha vowed to provide the leadership and technical support needed to bring the validated SOP to life.
He promised that, once ratified, this code of practice will unlock new opportunities empowering youth cooperatives and commercial apiaries alike, boosting livelihoods, and positioning Nigeria’s beekeeping sector for sustainable growth.
