The Nigerian government has launched a groundbreaking initiative to recruit 37,000 young Nigerians into livestock farming under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidential Initiative on Youths and Livestock Development. The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, made this announcement during a strategic meeting with JBS S.A., a leading Brazilian agribusiness firm that has pledged support for the program.

This initiative aims to create jobs, boost livestock productivity, and enhance food security by providing young farmers with specialized training, access to financial institutions, and necessary farming inputs. As part of the project, 1,000 youths from each of the 36 states and the FCT will be selected, including women, with a focus on pasture cultivation, livestock breeding, and disease prevention.

State governments have already committed to providing land, while the federal government will supply improved forage seedlings. The initiative also prioritizes advanced breeding techniques, incorporating live bull mating, artificial insemination, and embryo transfer with multiple egg harvesting to accelerate livestock reproduction. This controlled approach will improve cattle breeds, ensuring better productivity and higher-quality meat and dairy products.

With Nigeria’s livestock population standing at 20.9 million cattle, 49.1 million sheep, 88.2 million goats, 258.5 million poultry, and 9.2 million pigs, disease outbreaks remain a significant challenge. The program integrates a robust disease control framework, targeting swine fever, anthrax, and other infectious livestock diseases that hinder productivity. Benue State, a key player in pig farming, is already in discussions to integrate piggery into the initiative, expanding opportunities across different livestock sectors.

Brazil’s JBS S.A. has committed to constructing 200,000 ranches across Nigeria to strengthen beef production, with CEO Ricardo Lacerda emphasizing that while poultry farming in Nigeria is well-developed, the scale of broiler farming will be determined as the project unfolds. Additionally, Ogun State is positioned to benefit significantly from this partnership, as JBS S.A. has expressed strong interest in investing $2.5 billion into Nigeria’s livestock sector. Wesley Batista, a key stakeholder in the company, highlighted Nigeria’s vast economic potential and reaffirmed JBS’s commitment to bringing world-class expertise in animal protein production to the country.

This initiative marks a new dawn for Nigeria’s livestock industry, fostering employment, modernizing farming techniques, and ensuring greater food security. With the combined efforts of the government, private sector partners, and local farmers, the project is set to transform the livestock sector, creating sustainable livelihoods for thousands of young Nigerians. The coming months will be crucial in determining how effectively these interventions translate into tangible economic benefits and industry-wide growth.