The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has said that Nigeria earns about $1.2bn annually from the export of hides and skin from its livestock sector,
The association’s President, Othman Ngelzarma, told a news conference on Sunday in Abuja that the Nigerian livestock sector was currently valued at over N33 trillion and that with the envisaged new investments, it is estimated to grow to over N75 trillion in a few years.
He welcomed the creation of a new Ministry of Livestock Development and refuted claims that the initiative was an attempt to take other people’s land by force to resettle pastoralists.
It will be recalled that on July 9, 2024, President Bola Tinubu approved the creation of a new Ministry of Livestock Development. He also inaugurated the Renewed Hope livestock reform implementation committee.
The committee was mandated to provide sector-focused solutions to the age-long farmers-herders crisis.
“We welcome the creation of this very important ministry that contributes 10 per cent of Gross Domestic Product to Nigeria’s non-oil sector and 30 per cent of agricultural GDP. We salute the President for creating a ministry for an industry that employs over 20 million Nigerians,” Ngelzarma said.
Commenting on the income generation of the sector, the MACBAN president said: “For instance, the Sokoto red skin goat leather is the most valuable and expensive in the world, the Gucci and Armani bags are a good testament to this.
“Nigeria earns about $1.2bn annually for the export of hides and skin. It is projected that Nigeria will earn more than ten times what it earns now in foreign exchange.”
He stated that like the newly created blue economy, a renewed livestock production system would save Nigeria billions of dollars in foreign exchange from the importation of powdered milk and other livestock products.
“The country will also be positioned to earn billions of dollars in the export of leather, beef, and other livestock-related value chain products.
“As it is today, it is a sector that employs Nigerians cutting across tribes and religions, some as butchers, transporters, tax collectors, dairy/beef producers, etc. After all, when we talk of livestock, it goes beyond cows. We are talking of pigs, goats, sheep, fish, donkeys, camels, etc,” the report by The Punch newspaper on Monday quoted Ngelzarma as saying.
It added that the association expressed disappointment by the comments of some persons in several interviews granted in the media insinuating that the livestock ministry is a Fulani thing and also as an attempt to take other people’s land by force to resettle pastoralists.
MACBAN is an advocacy group aimed at promoting the welfare of pastoralists in Nigeria,
GIK/APA
Nigeria generates $1.2bn annually from export of animal skin – MACBAN
