The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, has said the ministry will ensure that all its policies, programmes and projects are fully aligned with the new national development plan.
Speaking during a three day top management retreat held in Abuja from Monday 5 January to Wednesday 7 January 2026, the Minister explained that coordinated action and clear priorities were necessary to unlock the full potential of the livestock sector.
Senior officials of the Ministry are currently in a retreat on detailed preparations to position the livestock sector as a major contributor to national growth under the Medium Term National Development Plan for 2026 to 2030.
The meeting brought together officials of the ministry and its agencies with key stakeholders from the national planning system.
Maiha noted that attention must be given to critical areas such as improved animal breeds, adequate feed supply, effective disease control and sustained peace in livestock producing communities. According to him, peace and stability remain essential foundations for economic progress and must be treated as a national priority if development efforts are to succeed.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, said the retreat was organised to help management staff thoroughly examine the national development framework and clearly define the responsibilities of the ministry and its parastatals. She added that emphasis was being placed on designing interventions that can be measured, tracked and linked directly to national goals.
Akujobi explained that sessions at the retreat were centred on aligning sector priorities with the pillars of the development plan, harmonising programmes across departments and agencies, converting the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy into practical and costed actions, and strengthening systems for implementation, monitoring and reporting.
She described the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy as a ten year roadmap aimed at transforming the livestock industry into a modern, market oriented and climate resilient sector that is sensitive to conflict issues while contributing meaningfully to food security and economic growth.
Officials from the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, directors, heads of agencies under the ministry and senior special assistants to the minister also participated in the retreat.
