Livestock Ministry Laments Lack of Capital Funding Since 2024

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has raised concerns over inadequate funding, revealing that it has not received capital releases since 2024.

The ministry said the situation has affected the implementation of several projects and programmes aimed at developing Nigeria’s livestock sector.

The ministry’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Henrietta Okokon, disclosed this while speaking with journalists.

She explained that the absence of capital funding had made it difficult for the ministry to execute some of its planned programmes effectively.

According to Okokon, the funding challenge is particularly worrying because the Federal Government has identified livestock as a major sector with the potential to drive economic growth, create jobs and improve food security.
She said, “Since 2024, we don’t have capital releases, so we cannot carry out some of our projects.

It’s hampering a lot of activities and programmes as well.”
Despite the financial difficulties, Okokon said the ministry had continued to implement various interventions across the country.

She disclosed that interventions had recently been carried out in Delta and Cross River states, while 100 heifers were distributed in Enugu State and another 100 in Delta State.

She also revealed that President Bola Tinubu had approved the expansion of the government’s livestock intervention programme from 18 to 30 states.

According to her, the expansion will ensure that all geopolitical zones, including states in the southern part of Nigeria, benefit from the Federal Government’s livestock development initiatives.

The ministry’s concerns come amid renewed efforts by the Federal Government to diversify the Nigerian economy and increase investment in agriculture and livestock production.

The livestock sector is regarded as having significant potential to contribute to food security, employment generation and economic development.

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development was established in July 2024 by President Tinubu as part of efforts to transform the livestock industry into a sustainable and globally competitive sector.

The ministry is responsible for improving livestock productivity, strengthening food security and promoting economic growth through the development of livestock value chains.

Under the government’s National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy, Nigeria is targeting an increase in the sector’s economic contribution from about $32 billion to $74 billion by 2035.

The plan focuses on areas such as animal health, breeding, feed production, pasture development, market access and other livestock value chains.

The ministry had previously informed the National Assembly during its 2026 budget defence that it was operating with limited fiscal releases.

The latest disclosure has renewed calls for increased government funding to enable the ministry to fully implement its programmes and unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s livestock industry.

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