Chidimma Uchegbu -Abuja
The Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) has conferred its prestigious Honorary Fellowship on the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha.
The announcement was made on Wednesday 24th September which 2025, during a courtesy visit by NIAS leadership to the Minister in Abuja.
Chairman of the NIAS Board of Fellows, Prof. S. E. Bogoro, while presenting the formal letter, stated that the award recognises the Minister’s landmark achievements over three decades in the livestock sector, as well as his demonstrable leadership as the pioneer Minister of the newly created Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
“On the recommendation of the Board of Fellows, and with the approval of the Council of Nigeria Institute of Animal Science, it is our honour to humbly notify you that the Honorary Fellowship of the Institute is to be conferred on you during the forthcoming 2025 Animal Science Event and Industry Exposition,” Bogoro stated.
Similarly, the President of NIAS, Chief Simeon A. Ohwofa, described the forthcoming event as “a strategic gathering of policymakers, academia, industry leaders, financiers, development partners, farmers, youth, and women agri-producers to provide a new vision for livestock production as a driver of economic diversification and food security.”
The delegation also briefed the Minister on other key matters, including preparations for the All-Africa Conference of Animal Agriculture (AACA) to be hosted in Nigeria in 2026, and regulatory challenges affecting NIAS’s mandate in accreditation and technical training.
Responding, the Minister expressed gratitude for the recognition and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to driving transformation in Nigeria’s livestock sector.
He assured the delegation of his full support in addressing the concerns raised and highlighted ongoing plans to establish National Breeding Centres across geopolitical zones to improve productivity, strengthen genetic resources, and build local capacity in artificial insemination and modern livestock practices.
“These centres will serve as hubs for breeding, training, and innovation. They will connect the entire livestock value chain – from genetics and pasture development to health, processing, and markets…This sector has been awakened, and the private sector must take the driver’s seat,” Maiha said.
This was contained in the statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Ben. Ben Going, the Minister further stressed the importance of building a national database of both active and retired professionals in animal science, to support training, consultancy, and human resource planning for the sector.
