Chidimma Uchegbu -Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the Leventis Foundation Nigeria have begun discussions on potential areas of collaboration aimed at strengthening youth capacity development in agriculture and improving livestock productivity across the country.
The partnership prospects were discussed when the leadership of the Leventis Foundation Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Minister welcomed the delegation and praised the Foundation for its sustained contribution to agricultural training and human capacity development in Nigeria. He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s livestock sector and empowering youth through sustainable agricultural development across the livestock value chain, including feed and fodder production, micro-livestock, poultry, dairy, cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, horses, camels, apiculture, marketing, storage, and transportation.
This was contained in the statement signed by the Assistant Chief Executive officer ( Information), Ogochukwu Igboamalu.
“The livestock sector offers vast opportunities, from feed and fodder production to animal husbandry, processing, marketing and value addition. As a Ministry, we are committed to creating an enabling environment for partnerships that will help unlock these opportunities,” the Minister said.
Highlighting the urgent need for end-to-end capacity building, Mukhtar said: “Training must be comprehensive. If a youth is given 50 goats, we must ensure they can manage, market, and maintain them without losses. Market linkages, veterinary care, and proper production practices are crucial to prevent setbacks and increase productivity.”
He also stressed the importance of post-insurgency stabilisation in the North-East, noting that youths emerging from IDP camps need productive engagement to reduce social vices and create sustainable livelihoods. “The North-East requires more programmes to scale up youth participation and strengthen local economies,” he said.
The Minister also suggested greater attention to youth engagement in vulnerable regions, particularly in the North-East, where agriculture can serve as a pathway to economic empowerment and social stability.
Following the Minister’s remarks, the Executive Director of Leventis Foundation Nigeria, Dr. Hope Usieta, presented the Foundation’s 36-year track record of youth training and agribusiness empowerment through six centres across Nigeria.
He explained that each centre admits about 150 trainees annually, who undergo 10–11 months of intensive, hands-on training in livestock production, crop cultivation, agroforestry, enterprise development, and value addition.
According to him, the programme has produced thousands of graduates who continue to thrive in agribusiness, supported through microcredit facilities and a national alumni network.
Usieta further noted that the Foundation operates a cost-sharing model with partner state governments, where both parties jointly support the establishment and running of the training schools.
He said the purpose of the visit was to formally introduce the Foundation’s work to the Ministry and explore ways of collaborating to advance key priorities of the Ministry, particularly in ruminant production, fodder development, and livestock value chain growth.
“We believe the platform we have built for attracting young people into agriculture can complement the Ministry’s mandate of improving livestock productivity and expanding opportunities within the sector,” he added.
The meeting further explored opportunities for expanded collaboration to mainstream fodder production, improve ruminant productivity, and strengthen youth engagement across the livestock value chain nationwide.
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