Creation of a new Ministry of Livestock Development

Dairy, Beef, Semen/Embryos, USDA

Dr. George Uzoaga, Director of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology at the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in Abuja, Nigeria, is a 2022 Cochran fellow. During his training on U.S. beef and dairy management in Wisconsin, which was led by U.S. Livestock Genetics, Inc., Dr. Uzoaga was able to see firsthand the highly advanced operations of the U.S. livestock industry, with a special emphasis on dairy and beef production and most importantly on operationalization of embryo transfer and genomic selection for best outcomes in animal breeding programs. In his own words:

"As a government official, I wrote a report to the management detailing the knowledge gained through the Cochran Program and how we, as a government, can catalyze a revolution in the sector through trainings on good husbandry practices, supply of inputs, provision of animal health service, and advocacy for more investments by the private sector."

His efforts along with those of other colleagues culminated in the creation of a new Nigerian Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in July 2024 and the appointment of a Minister who is a renowned dairy farmer in Kaduna State. Presently, 15 of the 36 Nigerian States have created their own Ministries of Livestock Development and are willing to allocate land to prospective local and foreign investors for the establishment of ranches for beef and dairy operations. Dr. Uzoaga has actively participated in the development of a livestock growth strategy to increase investment in the sector from the present $32 billion to $74 billion in the next 5 to 7 years.

The potential for growth in the Nigeran livestock industry is huge with over 341,000 square kilometers (131,660 square miles) of arable land for growing pasture and grain for animal feed production along with good indigenous breeds that can be improved with good feeding and breed improvement programs. Priority areas identified in the implementation of this livestock development strategy include feed and fodder development, water availability, and animal health and welfare as well as breed improvement through embryo transfer and artificial insemination with U.S. companies as key partners.