Concerns Raised by Senators and Minister Over Inadequate Funding for Livestock Ministry

The Minister of Livestock Development, Mukhta Maiha, revealed that approximately 65 percent of the livestock consumed in Nigeria each year is imported, despite the nation's capability to export red meat with an estimated value of N3.2 billion.

Mr. Maiha shared this information while addressing the National Assembly Joint Committee on Livestock Development, where he defended the budget proposals for the ministry for the year 2026.

In detailing the situation, the minister noted that from the N70 billion allocated as an initial fund for the ministry in 2024, only N20 billion was disbursed. He also indicated that the entire N10 billion set aside for capital projects in the 2025 budget was never released.

According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), committee members expressed dissatisfaction with what they termed “lip service” towards the growth of the livestock sector, especially considering it was established in 2024.

The lawmakers raised concerns over the current condition of the ministry and urged the committee’s leadership to engage President Bola Tinubu for immediate action.

They emphasized that this intervention aligns with the government’s goal of diversifying the economy through livestock development, similar to successful models in Brazil, Argentina, and Belgium.

Senator Tahir Monguno criticized the inadequate funding, declaring it inconsistent with the ministry's establishment goals aimed at economic diversification.

“Establishing the Ministry of Livestock Development in 2024 was motivated by the necessity for economic diversification,” he stated. “It is disheartening to see that we are merely paying lip service to the livestock sector at this point.”

He urged the executive branch to recognize that it contradicts the ministry's purpose to underfund it substantially.

Similarly, Senator Abdul Ningi pointed to possible sabotage affecting the ministry's budget, which he suggested might not be within President Bola Tinubu’s awareness.

He called upon the minister and other officials to clearly articulate the ministry's challenges to legislators and relevant authorities.

“This is a ministry that requires robust support and funding from the federal government. I suspect there may be sabotage behind the lack of capital allocation because the President has good intentions for the livestock sector,” he asserted.

Ningi further requested that the committee's leadership urgently liaise with the President for critical intervention.

Buba Shehu, the committee’s chair, underscored the drawbacks of a mono-sector economy, reaffirming the commitment to secure adequate funding for the ministry in pursuit of desirable economic diversification.