Nigeria has imported livestock and related products worth N4.46 trillion in just 66 months, raising alarm among agricultural stakeholders who warn that the country’s growing dependence on foreign products is undermining local production and job creation.

Industry experts have said that while importing exotic breeds for cross-breeding can improve local yields, the influx of frozen chicken and dairy products is crippling domestic industries and discouraging investment.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that between 2020 and mid-2025, the value of livestock imports rose steadily, from N454.52 billion in 2020 to a record N1.49 trillion in 2024. 

In the first half of 2025 alone, imports reached N815.03 billion, surpassing the total for 2023.

This trend represents a 31.27 per cent year-on-year increase, signaling a deep foreign reliance despite multiple government pledges to strengthen local production.

Dr. Sirak Bahta of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has warned that unless urgent measures are taken, Nigeria’s consumption of meat, milk, and eggs will soon outpace domestic supply.

Stakeholders have urged the government to prioritise the expansion of local production capacity under the newly created Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.

Muhammadu Abubakar, President of the Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria (CODARAN), said that selective importation of live animals can improve yields if managed strategically.

“When there is an inflow of live animal imports for cross-breeding, it’s good for the country,” Abubakar explained. 

“You get hybrid breeds that survive better in tropical climates and produce higher yields.”

However, he cautioned that uncontrolled imports, especially frozen chicken, are harmful. “Importing frozen chicken is never good for the local poultry business. 

We saw rapid industry growth when frozen chicken was banned in the early 2000s. Reintroducing imports reverses those gains,” he said.

Tunde Banjoko, Chairman of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Agricultural and Allied Group, argued that the import data reflects Nigeria’s failure to invest sufficiently in livestock infrastructure.

“The figures show we’re comfortable importing instead of producing. We should be exporting livestock and dairy products by now,” he said.

In the first half of 2025, Nigeria recorded N51.57 billion in livestock exports, resulting in a trade deficit of N763.47 billion.

Banjoko added that foreign imports, often cheaper due to favourable currency rates and lower production costs abroad, are pushing local businesses out of operation.

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, established in July 2024, unveiled the Nigeria Livestock Master Plan (NLMP) in partnership with ILRI in September. 

The plan aims to transform the livestock sector into a driver of food security, rural prosperity, and economic growth.

Livestock Development Minister Idi Maiha described the plan as “a blueprint for transformation,” noting that the sector contributes 17 per cent to agricultural GDP and 5 per cent to national GDP but remains constrained by disease, poor infrastructure, and low productivity.

Stakeholders hope the plan will improve breeding, disease control, and value-chain development while reducing import dependence.

Nigeria’s dairy sector continues to be a weak link. Abubakar explained that backward integration, though progressing, has yet to deliver tangible foreign exchange savings.

“Backward integration should lead to import substitution that saves forex,” he said. “If we’re still spending over $1.5 billion annually on dairy imports, we still have a long way to go.”

Experts agree that the way forward is to balance controlled imports for breeding with heavy investment in local infrastructure, research, and training.

“The government’s creation of a livestock ministry is a good start,” Banjoko said. “But strategy, cost efficiency, and value-chain development will determine whether we achieve self-sufficiency.”

As Abubakar put it, “We need to arrive at self-sufficiency. That is the end goal.”

Source: Punch News