Silagreen International Agro Development Limited carried out its fourth set of embryo transfers on Brazilian cattle, targeting an increase in Nigeria’s dairy and beef production while offering higher earnings for local farmers. The operation, announced on Tuesday, involved 74 recipient cows that had been prepared over several weeks in two southwestern centres – one in Ogun State and another in Osun State.
The CEO, Michael Akinruli, explained that the embryos used are derived from high‑value tropical dairy and beef genetics sourced from Brazil. He emphasized that the calves born from this exercise will be 100 % pure‑bred, genetically identical to their Brazilian parents, and fully adapted to Nigeria’s climate.
What does the programme entail?
According to Dr. Amos Ayodele, chairman of the firm, the embryo‑transfer (ET) programme was launched in April 2024 and each subsequent round builds on the lessons learned from the previous one. He highlighted that ET delivers the complete genetic value of a superior animal directly to the farmer, with the Nigerian cows acting solely as surrogate mothers. The surrogate cows carry the pregnancy but do not contribute any genetic material to the calf, ensuring that the offspring are exact genetic copies of the Brazilian donors.
Why is embryo transfer preferred over traditional methods?
Dr. Ayodele noted that ET is roughly five times faster than improving indigenous breeds through artificial insemination, which can require several generations of cross‑breeding to achieve comparable genetic quality. Each calf produced via ET comes with traceable parentage records, and because the genetics are tropical‑adapted, the animals are suited to local environmental conditions from birth.
Stakeholders across the livestock value chain have welcomed the initiative, citing the clear advantages of speed, genetic certainty, and climate suitability. Participation among farmers is reportedly rising with each edition of the programme.
How does government policy support the effort?
The chairman praised the creation of the new Federal Ministry of Livestock Development by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing it as a “blessing to the industry.” He added that livestock farmers now receive more focused attention than ever before, positioning the sector on a steady growth trajectory.
In summary, the fourth embryo‑transfer round represents a strategic push to modernise Nigeria’s livestock sector, delivering pure‑bred, high‑productivity animals that can enhance dairy and beef outputs while improving farmer livelihoods.