By Edwin Philip
National Biotechnology and Research and Development Agency Development Agency ( NABDA) has applauded Livestock producer Association of Nigeria (LIPAN) for organising a liveastocks investment summit, saying it that it a great opportunity for stakeholders to share ideas on how to move the sector forward.
Dr. Musa Hafsat Jummai Hafsat Ahmadu, coordinator of National Biotechnology Development Agency’s Livestock Development Center, located in Ganduje, Kano State.
“The livestocks summit is a great opportunity, I am very happy that something like this is been organised, and is the meeting of people from all sectors, the chiefs, the Emirs are here, as well as every other stakeholder, because I believe which ever information that is shared here will get to the rural people, for those who do not really know what is happening, it is a good programme and I encourage such programmes in the future”, She said.
Speaking on the mandate of her centre, Dr. Ahmadu said, the Livestock Development centre l, was created for livestock development, curb the challenges of food security and to offer nutritional benefits to livestock.
According to her, protein sources which comes from the livestock are not enough, reason why they have to seek for ways to brace up to the challenges improving the lives of rural people in the local areas with farmers who are into production, When you talk about development, we are talking about it in all aspects, which are improved milk, meats egg productions and many more, so that they should be able to improve their production for profit and tackle poverty.
“Most of the people that are doing it at larger scale are the main big farmers but most of us get our sources from the local farmers, so we are working hand in hand with them to ensure that we are able to give them the necessary support in terms of technology, for the improvement of their livestocks” she added.
On the misconception people have about biotechnology, she said contrary to views of most people that it is about the tempering with gene, out to play God, or modifying the species, that will affect them in a negative way, rather it will affect them positively, improving their products, nutritional value and services, so they can make reasonable livelihood.
The Director of Livestock Development Centre, however commended the federal government government on the recent establishment of the ministry of Livestock Development, saying that it will address the farmer herder conflicts, as it is one of their major mandates, believing they will achieve it target.
The two be days livestock summit organised the Livestock producer Association of Nigeria, which began on Monday, 20th, January 2025 to Tuesday, January, 21, which took place at the Musa Yar’adua Centre, FCT, Abuja, drew participants from the livestock value chain across the country and major stakeholders, in banking and finance, government and non government organizations among others, brainstorming on the way forward in the livestocks subsector of agribusiness.