Govt establishes gene bank to preserve livestock genetics

The Federal Government has announced the establishment of a gene bank to preserve the genetic makeup of indigenous livestock breeds, ensuring their sustainability for future generations.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Muktar Maiha, made the announcement during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja on Friday.

Maiha emphasised that the gene bank is crucial for maintaining the country’s unique livestock breeds, which have adapted to the local environment and are resistant to diseases.

He stated, “We are already talking about decisions of this country to create a gene bank where we can store all our local indigenous genetics. Because they have been producing them, they are indigenous, they are adapting, and they are resistant to diseases. Therefore, we don’t want to push them away.”

The minister further explained that rather than replacing indigenous breeds, the government intends to integrate them into modern livestock production systems.

“We are going to combine them, we are going to keep them and do crossbreeding so that those elements of indigenous genetics are also preserved for future generations and future national growth,” he said.

He said the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development, the first of its kind in Nigeria’s history, was part of President Bola Tinubu’s strategic vision to formalize and modernize the livestock sector, which is valued at approximately N33tn.

“It is the strategic vision of Mr President to bring that sector into the formal sector, by way of modernizing it,” Maiha noted.

To support this transformation, the ministry is implementing various initiatives, including a nationwide mapping of grazing reserves.

“We have already started mapping out, in fact, we are going to be inventorying quality grazing reserves in the country, more than visited, running to about 417, totaling more than 5 million hectares of land,” he revealed.

These reserves will be equipped with the necessary infrastructure, including water resources, veterinary clinics, and schools for herders’ families.

Furthermore, the minister highlighted the government’s focus on leveraging technology to enhance livestock management.

“We have digitized the cattle routes in this country. We have also digitized available dams. We have also digitized those grazing reserves. So at the click of a button, we are leveraging technology to ensure that we can see whatever is happening in all the grazing reserves nationwide,” he stated.

As part of efforts to encourage private sector investment, Maiha disclosed that a Brazilian meat processing giant has committed to investing $2.5bn in Nigeria’s livestock sector. He described this as a testament to President Tinubu’s vision.

“We had a commitment from a Brazilian company, the biggest player in the meat industry, to come to Nigeria and invest a total of $2bn,” he said.

The ministry is also taking steps to improve livestock health and disease control.

Maiha noted that the National Animal Identification Tagging System has been launched to trace cattle and reduce losses due to rustling.

Additionally, the government plans to commercialize the National Veterinary Research Institute to meet the country’s vaccine production needs.

Maiha expressed optimism about the ministry’s initiatives, stating, “I am willing to believe that with the kind of rich power we have today, these Programmes are going to resonate across the country. That is our intention and that is how we are going to do it.”