Nigeria's push to modernise its livestock sector is beginning to show numbers on the ground. The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, a flagship intervention under the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, has now reached more than 1.44 million Nigerians across 20 states, exceeding its overall beneficiary target, according to Vanguard.
A Mass Vaccination Campaign
At the heart of the drive is animal health. The project has vaccinated no fewer than 23.3 million animals against major livestock diseases nationwide, including Anthrax, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, Peste des Petits Ruminants, Foot and Mouth Disease and Newcastle disease, covering more than 10 million cattle, 9.1 million goats and sheep and over 4.1 million poultry birds across the 20 participating states, as West African Pilot News reported.
Backed by a $500 Million Programme
The World Bank-funded project, valued at about $500 million and running for six years, was designed to improve livestock productivity, resilience and commercialisation across key value chains including beef, dairy, sheep, goat, poultry and feed systems, according to The Guardian. More than 101,000 farmers have adopted improved livestock technologies and over 388,000 have received services and support, with the beneficiary count split between more than 546,000 women and over 903,000 men, Vanguard noted, as the programme concluded its mid-term review.
Healthier herds and flocks mean steadier supplies of meat, milk and eggs, the animal proteins whose prices weigh heavily on household budgets. FoodPrices Nigeria tracks verified retail prices across Lagos markets and follows the national efforts that shape the cost of protein on Nigerian plates