The Federal Government has expressed readiness to deploy microchips nationwide for the identification, traceability, and accurate data collection on Nigeria’s livestock population.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, disclosed this during an interview with reporters on Friday in Abuja.
Maiha said the initiative would provide accurate data on the national livestock population, which would aid disease monitoring and control, facilitate livestock trade, and modernise various livestock value chains.
Speaking on the sidelines of an interactive session with members of the Miyetti-Allah Fulahu Yeso Yeso Development Association (MAYFDA), the Minister added that the move would improve livestock security.
He said the ministry had introduced livestock identification and tagging to enable the tracing of animals, especially cows, in cases of straying or cattle rustling.
“Identification and tagging of animals will significantly help stop the menace of cattle rustling and violent conflicts between pastoralists and farmers,” he said.
“Plans are already underway to pilot livestock tagging in some states. The ministry is collaborating with state governments and private sector operators with the required technical capacity for a seamless rollout of the programme,” Maiha added.
The Minister explained that microchipping would allow pastoralists to prove ownership of their animals in cases of rustling or when livestock stray from designated grazing reserves.
“There will be geo-fencing within the grazing reserves so that once a tagged animal steps out of the boundary, an alarm is triggered. If the animal is rustled, security forces will be able to track, recover it, and arrest the rustlers anywhere in the country,” he said.
“No animal will be allowed in livestock markets or abattoirs without an ear tag and proof of ownership. Any animal found without an ear tag will be confiscated, and the driver of the transporting vehicle will be arrested,” Maiha added.
He expressed confidence that the measure would effectively control and eventually eliminate cattle rustling in the country.
