NASS Kicks as Livestock Ministry Gets Zero Capital Release, 65% of Meat Still Imported

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The National Assembly yesterday berated the federal government over what it described as lip service to the development of the livestock sector, lamenting that two years after the creation of a dedicated ministry, funding has remained grossly inadequate, with zero capital release for 2025.

The lawmakers’ anger was triggered during a budget defence session between the Joint Committee on Livestock Development and the Ministry of Livestock Development, where the Minister Alhaji Idi Mukhta Maiha disclosed that only a fraction of approved funds had been released since the ministry’s establishment.

Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Maiha, told the committee that out of the N70 billion approved as take-off grant for the ministry in 2024, only N20 billion had been released to date.

He further disclosed that none of the N10 billion appropriated as capital vote for the 2025 fiscal year had been disbursed.

The minister also painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s dependence on imported livestock, revealing that about 65 per cent of animals consumed annually in the country are imported, despite Nigeria’s vast potential for red meat production and export, estimated at N3.2 billion.

The disclosures drew sharp reactions from members of the joint committee, who described the funding situation as contradictory to the federal government’s stated commitment to economic diversification.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Shehu Buba (Bauchi South), led the session in which lawmakers expressed disbelief over the funding gaps and resolved to escalate the matter to the Presidency for urgent intervention.

The Senate Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno (Borno North), said the poor funding profile was at variance with the vision that informed the creation of the ministry in 2024.

According to him, the establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development was driven by the federal government’s resolve to diversify the nation’s economy away from overdependence on oil.

“It is therefore surprising and disturbing that we are now paying lip service to the livestock sector. We cannot create a ministry in furtherance of economic diversification and then fail to fund it adequately,” he said.

Monguno stressed that it was inherently contradictory to set up a standalone ministry and then starve it of the resources required to fulfil its mandate.

He urged the committee leadership to urgently draw the attention of President Bola Tinubu to what he described as an alarming funding deficit, noting that countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Belgium had leveraged livestock development to strengthen their economies.

In his intervention, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) went further, alleging possible sabotage in the non-release of funds.

He said the zero capital allocation for 2025 was difficult to reconcile with the President’s publicly stated commitment to repositioning the livestock sector.

“I am suspecting sabotage in the non-release of capital funds because Mr. President meant well by establishing the Ministry of Livestock Development. This is a ministry that must be supported and properly funded,” Ningi said.

He appealed to the minister and top management staff of the ministry to speak up more forcefully about the operational challenges they face, assuring them that the National Assembly would amplify their concerns to the appropriate authorities.

The lawmaker urged the committee leadership to either write formally to or seek an audience with the President to secure urgent intervention, describing the matter as one of national economic importance.

Responding earlier in his presentation, Maiha had emphasised that Nigeria possesses enormous livestock resources capable of transforming the economy if properly harnessed.

He noted that beyond domestic consumption, the country has the capacity to earn significant foreign exchange from red meat exports, but that this potential remains largely untapped due to inadequate infrastructure, poor funding and systemic bottlenecks.

The minister maintained that consistent and timely release of budgeted funds would enable the ministry to invest in modern ranching systems, disease control, value chain development and processing facilities necessary to reduce import dependence.

In his closing remarks, Senator Buba reiterated that no nation could make meaningful progress operating a mono-product economy, warning that continued overreliance on oil revenue exposes Nigeria to external shocks.

He assured the minister that the committee would do everything within its legislative powers to push for adequate funding for the ministry in the 2026 budget cycle and to ensure that previously approved funds are released.

According to him, livestock development remains a critical component of the country’s economic diversification agenda and food security strategy, adding that failure to properly fund the sector undermines both objectives.

The session ended with a consensus among lawmakers that urgent executive intervention was required to align government action with policy pronouncements on diversification, as Nigeria continues to import the bulk of the livestock it consumes despite its vast agricultural endowments.