‘Livestock Subsector Provides Five Million Jobs For Nigerians’

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has said that over five million Nigerians have been employed directly or indirectly in the livestock subsector,.
This, it said, helped to strengthen the nation’s social safety net.
The ministry has also stated that developing a clear cut roadmap for the animal feed subsector of the livestock value chain of the agricultural sector would provide direction for animal feed security in the country. 
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Abubarka, in a statement on the ministry’s website,  stated that the issue of animal feed and human food security was a priority agenda.
“The ministry has been committed to the development of the nation’s feed industry by making budgetary provision for capacity building on alternative ingredients in some states in the East and West of Nigeria based on comparative advantage.
“The livestock subsector alone engages over five million Nigerians directly or indirectly as technical or skilled personnel, distributors, fabricators of tools and machinery.
“Another area jobs has been created is the input suppliers which has generated massive employment across various value chains and strengthens the national social safety net with copious contributions to food security, household income and poverty reduction”, the statement added.
The minister, in the statement said, to support the livestock farmers alleviate the cost of feeds, that the ministry procured and distributed ruminant feed concentrates, salt licks, finished feeds to small-holder farmers across the country.