FG sets up NEC technical sub-committee to reposition livestock sector
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Technical Sub-Committee of the National Economic Council (NEC) on Livestock Development, reaffirming its commitment to repositioning the sector as a key driver of economic growth, food security and national cohesion.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, inaugurated the sub-committee in Abuja on Monday, saying it was set up to harmonise existing policy frameworks and fast-track the development of an implementable roadmap for consideration and adoption by the NEC.
Bagudu recalled that the NEC had earlier constituted a high-level committee on livestock development chaired by the Governor of Kebbi State, Dr Nasir Idris, but added that a technical sub-committee became necessary due to the urgency of the task and the busy schedules of state governors.
“Our task is not to reinvent the wheel. A substantial body of work already exists. What is required now is to distil these reports into a clear, practical implementation roadmap that the National Economic Council can adopt without delay,” the minister said.
He emphasised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s personal commitment to livestock development, describing it as a strategic shift in Nigeria’s economic and agricultural policy, and noting that the creation of a stand-alone Ministry of Livestock Development reflected this priority.
According to Bagudu, livestock development aligns with Nigeria’s federal structure, which assigns responsibility for agriculture and food security to the federal, state and local governments, stressing the need for collaboration across all tiers of government.
He highlighted available financing and programme windows, including the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project, NG-CARES and the Renewed Hope Ward-Based Development Plan, which targets economic opportunities across the country.
The minister said the sub-committee’s work would help reposition livestock production as a source of prosperity rather than conflict, while attracting additional resources from states, development partners and the private sector through improved policy coherence.
