FG to Train Livestock Actors for $2.5bn Beef Export Drive
By Patience Ikpeme
The federal government has initiated a training programme for participants in Nigeria’s livestock value chain, designed to equip them to access a $2.5 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and position Nigeria as a leading supplier of quality beef to both domestic and global markets.
NIRSAL Plc, with backing from the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, has launched a Feedlot Management Training Programme. This initiative aims to prepare the nation’s livestock value chain actors to tap into the substantial FDI deal recently secured by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the global meatpacking giant, JBS of Brazil.
A statement from NIRSAL Plc on Tuesday indicated that “NIRSAL’s intervention aims to unlock the full potential of the sub-sector by addressing structural gaps through a blend of: Technical capacity-building; Risk-sharing incentives for lenders; End-to-end value chain support, and Strategic public-private collaborations.”
NIRSAL Plc noted that “the first cohort of the training programme comes at a critical moment when Nigeria is stepping into the spotlight as a global meat investment destination of choice.”
The partnership with JBS will see six modern meat processing plants constructed across the country—two specifically for beef—which will significantly increase the demand for premium feedstock from local producers.
Speaking at the opening session of the training programme, Mr. Sa’ad Hamidu, Managing Director/CEO of NIRSAL Plc, outlined the programme’s strategic intent: “This is not just another training; it is a targeted intervention aimed at creating bankable agribusinesses by improving feed formulation practices, reducing input waste, and optimizing livestock finishing cycles for increased market value.”
He added that, “As it is, we are preparing Nigerian livestock producers to feed not just the nation, but the world. And this aligns directly with the Federal Government’s vision for an agriculturally empowered, export-ready nation.”
The programme seeks to foster the production of export-grade meat in Nigeria, while simultaneously improving the productivity and profitability of local producers. While the $2.5 billion deal with JBS stands as the most prominent among recent investments in Nigeria’s livestock sub-sector, it is not the sole one.
Local companies such as ABIS Group are also making significant investments in the meat value chain, further stimulating the demand for high-quality feedstock.
Participants in the initial cohort of the training programme were drawn from various organizations, including the Ministry of Livestock Development, the Agric Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), National Association of Cattle Dealers, Processors & Marketers of Nigeria (NACDPMAN), Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN), Maidoki Farms Ltd, and others.
Shekamang Ayuba, Director of Ranch and Pastoral Resources Development in the Ministry of Livestock Development, and a participant himself, praised the training as “eye-opening and apt,” urging its expansion nationwide.
According to NIRSAL Plc, “Nigeria’s livestock sector, rich in potential but hampered by outdated practices, poor-quality feed, and limited financing, stands on the brink of genuine transformation.”
