The Borno Government has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to transform the livestock sector and unlock the state’s economic potential.
The State Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur, made the statement on Wednesday in Maiduguri during a visit from the Minister of Livestock Development, Dr. Idi Maiha.
Maiha was in the state to inspect projects under the Federal Government’s Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) initiative.
Kadafur said the partnership will focus on improving livestock production, animal breeding, fisheries, processing, and value addition, aiming to position Borno as a major livestock investment and export hub.
He highlighted that the state has a comparative advantage in livestock due to its large cattle population and strategic location.
According to him, the government is moving beyond traditional livestock methods by promoting value addition, farmer empowerment, clustering, and modern breeding programmes.
The minister inspected the Liquid Nitrogen Plant at the Mohammed Lawan College of Agriculture (MOLCA) in Maiduguri, established through collaboration between the state government and L-PRES.
He also examined the Gene Plasm Bank and exotic bulls acquired by the state for cross-breeding and cattle breed improvement.
Maiha expressed satisfaction with the facilities, noting that these investments align with the Federal Government’s agenda to transform Nigeria’s livestock industry.
He commended the distribution of 3,000 cattle for restocking, which would supply raw materials for emerging livestock processing facilities.
The State Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Dr. Makinta Ali, has been overseeing high-level inspections and stakeholder field visits to the facility.
Ali stated that the plant can produce about 5,000 liters of liquid nitrogen daily, with a storage capacity of 10,000 liters, and could generate around N500 million monthly when fully operational.
He explained that the liquid nitrogen is mainly used for semen preservation at the Artificial Insemination Centre, supporting livestock genetic improvement and crossbreeding efforts.
Meanwhile, Tijjani Mohammed, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Livestock Development, announced plans to establish a modern livestock processing industry through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
He said the proposed abattoir would process about 300 cattle and 500 goats and sheep daily, subject to technical and financial evaluations.
