The Federal Government has disclosed plans to launch a training program to address the persistent feed and fodder shortages that have frequently triggered conflicts between farmers and herders in various parts of Nigeria.
The training, focused on “feed balancing,” aims to equip participants with the skills to gather data on feed availability across the country.
This will guide the government in making decisions and implementing policies that will strengthen the feed and fodder subsector.
Organized by the African Union Inter-Africa Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the training is designed to empower the government to make informed decisions that will positively impact the feed and fodder subsector.
Speaking at a capacity-building workshop on the Feed and Fodder Data Ecosystem, Collection Mechanism, Ground-Truthing, and Validation in Nigeria, Mrs. Winnie Lai-Solarin, Director of Animal Husbandry Services at the Ministry of Livestock Development, reiterated the government’s commitment to improving feed and fodder production.
She noted that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is working closely with the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development and has dedicated a department specifically to animal feed and fodder.
“Without accurate data, effective feed and fodder management is not possible,” Lai-Solarin stated.
“This is a crucial moment for Nigeria to take the lead in addressing this challenge and securing a sustainable future for the livestock sector.”
Also speaking, Leonard Muganda, an Information Systems and Data Analytics expert with the African Union Inter-Africa Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), noted that the project which started two years ago, focuses on engaging stakeholders in the feed and fodder value chain.
According to him, the project aims to build knowledge and analytical ecosystems that will enhance informed decision-making across the feed and fodder value chain.
In his remarks, Tunde Amole, Country Representative of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), underscored the role of feed inventory, livestock population estimation, and feed resource balancing in developing a good national feed balance strategy.