FG prioritises women in livestock transformation, says minister

Idi Mukhtar Maiha, minister of livestock development, says the federal government is placing women at the centre of Nigeria’s livestock transformation agenda.

He spoke at a high-level breakfast meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, noting that women remain the backbone of the country’s livestock economy.

The minister said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda has elevated livestock as a national development priority and expanded opportunities for women to own businesses and take leadership roles in the sector.

He also praised First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for her consistent advocacy for women’s empowerment.

Maiha told participants that women are not behind the scenes but on the front lines of economic activity. He said the ministry will work with AWARFA-N and other partners to increase opportunities across high-value chains including honey, goats, dairy and poultry.

Earlier, Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, the permanent secretary to the ministry said women drive food production, family nutrition and market systems across the country.

She noted that the National Livestock Growth and Acceleration Strategy places women and youth as one of its ten core pillars.

She also announced the upcoming National Presidential Youth and Women Initiatives in Livestock. The programme will create thousands of jobs across the 774 local government areas.

Read also: Nigeria, Indonesia deepen partnership on livestock technology

Presenting AWARFA-N’s five-year plan, Victoria Madedor said the organisation aims to become the leading platform for supporting women investors and entrepreneurs in animal resources and agribusiness.

She listed capacity building, finance, value-chain development, technology and advocacy as the pillars of its 2025 to 2029 strategy.

In a goodwill message, Sarah Ossiya of AU-IBAR called for stronger inclusion of women in livestock systems.

She said Africa loses up to ten percent of GDP to undernutrition and noted that improved animal nutrition boosts human nutrition. She urged reforms in financing and land access to unlock the full potential of women in the sector.

Ruth Tene, Assistant Editor, Agric/Solid Minerals/INEC

Ruth Tene is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years experience in developmental reporting across several newsrooms, as a reporter, editor and other managerial roles. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the University of Maiduguri among several other certifications

She has attended several trainings and certifications both locally and internationally and has been recognized for her impactful work in humanitarian reporting, receiving the Gold Award for Humanitarian Services from the Amazing Grace Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Home Alliance Fellowship, reflecting her commitment to fostering a more humane, safer and more sustainable planet.

An active member of professional journalism bodies, Ruth is affiliated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), and the Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN), where she continues to advocate for excellence, ethical reporting, and development-focused journalism.

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