The Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Funds(Tetfund), Professor Suleiman Bogoro has pledged to support universities in
Nigeria to deepen research and development in the aspect of animal productionto ensure food security, sufficiency and improve the value chain of theindustry.Professor Suleiman Bogoro gave the hint during the the 45thAnnual Conference of the Nigerian Society for Animal Production with the theme‘Animal Agriculture: Exploring the Goldmine of Nigeria’s Agro Revolution’ whichtook place in Bauchi on Monday.
Bogoro who said already a diary research and development institutehas been established at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi arguedthat the North East of Nigeria houses the largest livestock in the country,hence the need to improve the sector to attain food sufficiency and security inNigeria.
Bogoro said universities in the region could play animportant role in deepening research in the aspect of animal production tosupport the federal government’s drive to attain food sufficiency in thecountry.
He said TetFund will continue to funds innovativeagricultural drive, which he says will compliment government efforts to improvethe sector.
In a key note address, the Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Alhaji Sabo Nanono who described Animal Agriculture as anessential source of livelihood for millions of people, said concerted effort inharnessing it to boost the socioeconomic status of the citizenry needs to beput in place.
Represented by a Bauchi State Director of the Ministry, theMinister expressed confidence that with professional harmony, the challengesbedeviling the livestock sub sector in the country will be addressed.
According to him, the projected growth in Nigeria’spopulation requires deliberate efforts to drive food sufficiency andlivestock’s driven economy to sustain the evolving population.
Alhaji Sabo Nanono said livestock production andproductivity has to increase commensurably in quantity and quality by about 60percent in order to satisfy the expected huge demand for animal protein andother livestock products.
On his part, the President, Nigerian Society for AnimalProduction, Professor Augustine Ogbonna said the society in pursuance of herobjectives, has continued to provide forum to discuss issues relating to thepromotion of all aspects of animal production in the country, noting that, inevery annual conference, through its resolutions, the society has influencedgovernment policies affecting animal production.
Professor Augustine Ogbonna who said the theme of theconference was based on the understanding that Animal Production holds greatpotential to the country’s economy that has been oil dependent, stressed theneed for stakeholders in the livestock sector to join hands together toaccelerate the development of the industry.
