By Julie China & Ify Mgbemena
Nigeria’s shift from open pastoralism to fenced ranches and feedlots could lower the barrier to commercial cattle production, with investors able to start a ranching business with as few as two animals, according to Jerry Cunningham, Managing Director of American West African Agro (AWAA).
In an exclusive interview with AgroNigeria, Cunningham said the transition, expected to take several years, would open opportunities for small-scale producers, improve cattle productivity and strengthen security. A person can run an operation with two cattle or manage a facility housing as many as 15,000 animals, he said, adding that ranching need not be restricted to large investors.
He said Nigerian cattle have good genetic potential but cannot deliver the productivity the industry needs without better feeding, which is why controlled production systems are an important first step. The Ministry and L-PRES are already working to drive progress in this area, he noted.
The economics, he explained, favour improved feeding. Under better conditions, a farmer could raise cattle to between 400 and 500 kilogrammes within 24 months, rather than selling them at seven months at about 250 kilogrammes. This, he said, creates the chance to earn better returns within a shorter production cycle.
Cunningham said the model is already taking shape in the South-West, where small-scale ranchers operate with between 10 and 50 cattle kept in confined systems. These businesses, he said, are growing and generating income. AWAA’s own experience in Kogi State, where it bought locally sourced cattle and feed, showed the approach was workable. Within two or three months, he said, people began to recognise the benefits of working together.
He argued that proper feeding systems must be established before more advanced interventions are introduced. Once cattle are contained and adequately fed, farmers can adopt artificial insemination and embryo transfer to improve herd genetics and raise the value of their animals.
On the broader case for reform, Cunningham drew a parallel with the United States in 1888, during what became known as the Barbed Wire War, when the spread of fenced land restricted the free movement of cattle. Nigeria, he said, is experiencing a comparable shift as more land is brought under cultivation.
Having lived and worked in Nigeria for 26 years, he said he had also seen grasslands deteriorate. When one herd grazes an area and another arrives just two days later, the vegetation has little chance to recover, and repeated pressure leads to further degradation. Controlled operations, he said, offer a more sustainable and commercially attractive alternative, improving security, supporting healthier animals and allowing farmers to manage feeding and production more efficiently.
Cunningham also sought to ease concerns over jobs, saying the transition would change the nature of employment in the sector rather than eliminate existing livelihoods. As production moves away from open pastoralism, more people will be needed to work in ranches, feedlots and other organised livestock operations.
Beyond cattle production, he pointed to opportunities in meat processing. AWAA is establishing meat-packing plants, he said, because of considerable demand for fresh, healthy and hygienically processed meat. The facilities will provide an important market for cattle produced through the emerging ranching systems.
Together, he said, improved production, growing small-scale ranching businesses and meat processing present significant economic opportunities for private investors in Nigeria’s livestock industry.
