Nigeria looks to Tanzania for livestock transformation blueprint

NIGERIA – A high-level delegation from Nigeria’s newly established Federal Ministry of Livestock Development recently visited Tanzania to learn from the East African nation’s successful implementation of its Livestock Master Plan (LMP).

The Nigerian team, led by the Ministry’s National Director Dr. Ishiyaku Mohamed Musa, met with Tanzanian officials on Tuesday in Dodoma, the country’s capital, where they were welcomed by Professor Riziki Shemdoe, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. 

The visit included a field tour to observe practical applications of Tanzania’s LMP strategies.

The delegation’s primary objective was to understand how Tanzania has managed to boost productivity, expand meat exports, and strengthen its livestock health infrastructure; achievements Nigeria aims to replicate as it finalises its own Nigeria Livestock Master Plan (N-LMP).

“Tanzania’s Livestock Master Plan focuses on six key areas, including breed improvement, pastures and water access, and animal health—all of which support the national vaccination programme,” said Prof. Shemdoe. 

“To counter a total of 13 livestock diseases, the government has allocated approximately 28bn/- for the implementation of a nationwide vaccination programme, thanks to the endorsement by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.”

He added that Tanzania’s transformation strategy also prioritises value addition, market access, and enhancing extension services, including equipping officers with motorcycles and ICT tools for better service delivery and data collection. 

These reforms have contributed to a dramatic increase in meat exports, from 1,700 tonnes to 15,000 tonnes annually in just three years. 

“With continued improvements, the Government of Tanzania aims to increase meat exports to 50,000 tonnes annually,” he said.

Dr. Musa praised the hospitality and openness of Tanzania’s Ministry of Livestock and emphasised the importance of such exchanges. 

“In addition to understanding how Tanzania has overcome challenges in transforming its livestock sector, our visit also aims to exchange experiences that can help improve the livestock industries in both countries—and across the continent,” he said. 

Also in attendance was Dr. Amos Omore, Regional Representative for Eastern and Southern Africa at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), who lauded Tanzania’s commitment to improving the livestock sector. 

“Improved extension services will benefit young men and women because they will be reached for the exploitation of opportunities available in the subsector,” he noted.

Strategic meetings to advance N-LMP’s foundation 

The Nigerian delegation’s visit follows months of foundational work on the N-LMP. Last month in Abuja, the N-LMP development team, led by ILRI senior scientist Dolapo Enahoro, met with the Ministry of Livestock Development and the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee (PLRIC), chaired by Attahiru Jega. 

The goal: aligning technical strategies with political priorities to create a practical, reform-driven blueprint.

Minister Idi Mukhtar emphasised the urgent need for accurate data, citing outdated census figures, cattle rustling, and undocumented cross-border livestock movements as key challenges. 

“Credible, up-to-date data is not just a technical necessity but a strategic enabler,” he stated, noting its importance for disease control, infrastructure planning, and targeted breeding programs.

The N-LMP is designed as a five-year investment roadmap feeding into a 15-year national strategy. 

It focuses on boosting productivity, strengthening value chains, improving animal health, and building resilience across diverse production systems.

At a recent PLRIC meeting, committee member Winnie Lai-Solarin highlighted the need for a livestock-specific extension framework to replace crop-centric models and called for the integration of ethnoveterinary practices into national systems. 

“No one should downplay the importance of the emerging ethnoveterinary innovations in the livestock sector,” she said. “They are the reliable options when conventional veterinary medications fail to reach the last mile.”

Prof. Jega, meanwhile, emphasised partnership as the backbone of successful implementation: “This is a shared effort, and the strength of this plan will come from the partnerships we build around it.”

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