Download the hon.minister of agriculture welcome address...

THE WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE HON.
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE & RURAL
DEVELOPMENT, CHIEF AUDU OGBEH
OFR,
AT THE 5TH JOINT ANNUAL MEETING (JAM) OF THE
NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ANIMAL SCIENCE (NIAS) AND
ANIMAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (ASAN)
HELD AT EBITIMI BANIGO AUDITORIUM, UNIVERSITY
PARK, UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT, FROM
SEPTEMBER 18TH TO 22ND 2016, IN PORT-HARCOURT,
RIVERS STATE.
PROTOCOLS
I count it a privilege and honour to welcome you
to this 5th Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) of the
Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) and
Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN).
I would like to applaud the Nigerian Institute of
Animal Science and Animal Science Association
of Nigeria (ASAN) for choosing a very cardinal
theme for this year’s Conference,
“Repositioning Animal Agriculture in a
Dwindling Oil Economy”.
It is inspiring that this meeting has come at a time
when the vision of the Government of Nigeria is
articulated through the change approach to be
applied at all levels of development of the Nation.
To achieve this vision, it is expedient that we work
with an ample range of National and International
Stakeholders to speed up transformation in
repositioning our agriculture sector and indeed
Livestock production to meet contemporary
aspirations of wholesomeness and
commercialization for increased farmer and
National income as well as wellbeing of the Nation.
• Ladies and gentlemen this occasion is significant
because it marks a major milestone in our drive of
making agriculture a top priority to meet the economic
needs of the growing Nigerian population.
• The human population in Nigeria is currently estimated
to be about 160 million and is projected to increase to
over 200 million within the next two decades. Rapid
increase in human population is inadvertently
associated with corresponding increase in demand for
food and other agricultural products including those of
animal origin.
• To meet the increasing gap in the availability of food of
animal origin and animal products, there is a need to
maximize the production and productivity levels of the
livestock resource of the Country.
• A recent survey by the National Bureau of
Statistics estimated the population of various
species of livestock as:- cattle (19,200,000),
Sheep (39,300,000), goats (63,300,000), pigs
(6,700,000) and poultry (153,000,000).
• This sub-sector accounts for about 25% of
Nigeria’s agricultural GDP and 5.8% of
National GDP and is conservatively valued at
over 50 trillion Naira. However, there is no
census on livestock population which makes it
difficult to know the actual number of
livestock in the country.
• Nigeria’s agricultural sector has a high
potential for growth, but this potential is not
being realized due to the production system
which is mainly extensive/transhumance and
semi-intensive where animals are allowed to
roam in search of feed/pasture.
• Such practices do not allow for proper
nutrition required for growth and production,
as a result, there is under-productivity.
• Livestock productivity in Nigeria is below the
genetic potentials of the national herd because of
inadequate and poor quality pasture, poor
reproductive management and animal diseases
exacerbated by lack of effective support services,
such as animal husbandry extension, genetic
improvement through artificial insemination (AI)
and effective veterinary services.
• Improvement in the productivity of livestock will
bring about food security, provide quality
nutrition especially for children, improve
livelihoods and reduce poverty and this will help
in achievement of the Sustainable Development
Goals 1, 2 and 8.
• Livestock, movement is predicated on the
need for the livestock farmers to have access
to feed, water and market for their livestock.
• Thus there is movement down to the coastal
regions during the dry season and as the rainy
season sets in the pastoralists move back
upland.
• Provision of these amenities in an organized
and sustainable manner will reduce the need
for this seasonal movement and improve the
productivity of the animals.
• Sustainable development of livestock
production is an integral part of any food
security or poverty reduction.
• Also, traditional pastoral farming systems such
as transhumance subsist and contribute to
socio-economic development and growth of
livestock production.
• However the random movement of livestock
and transhumance continues to trigger
numerous social, legal, environmental, health,
economic and political problems.
• In 2016 alone, there had been several fatal
clashes between herders and farmers in
Nigeria and there is need to find lasting
solutions to this hydra headed problem.
• The Livestock sector is facing an exciting
future with the reviving and positive policy
actions that are pivotal towards accelerating
structural reforms to set the sector in the
brightest spot on the country’s economic
landscape.
• While there are many challenges ahead, the good
news, however, is that we are determined to
leverage on the enormous opportunities that lie
therein to turn the livestock sector around.
• This will be achieved through Government and
private investment support for profitable
livestock farms to achieve self-sufficiency in food
production, ensure food security, reduce import
dependence and economic losses, stimulate
foreign exchange earnings, conserve indigenous
breeds, enhance wealth and job creation,
strengthen our institutions and thus make Nigeria
depend less on oil
• The Government is encouraging farmers including
livestock farmers to take farming as a business
and has come up with a new agriculture
promotion policy – the ‘Green Alternative’
which focuses on a government-enabled, private
sector-led engagement as the main growth driver
of the sector.
• The vision of the current administration is to
work with key stakeholders to build an
agribusiness economy capable of delivering
sustained prosperity by meeting domestic food
security goals, generating exports and supporting
sustainable income growth.
•
• This policy statement is anchored on three
main pillars which are:- promotion of
agricultural investment, financing agricultural
development programmes and research for
agricultural innovation and productivity.
• This also ensures compliance with
international commitments, protocols and
conventions that
• Furthermore, in our quest for dairy development,
we are partnering with major stakeholders to
inject a considerable volume of locally produced
raw milk in powdered milk processed in Nigeria
through Friesland-Campino and Arla.
• Likewise there is an increase in Nigerian grown
poultry products now available in major
international supermarkets operating in Nigeria
like Shoprite, SPAR and others even as smugglers
of frozen chicken continue to undermine the
efforts of government and that of the Nigerian
poultry farmers.
• I wish to admit that most of the achievements
of Government in Agriculture within the last
one year were supported by Standards along
international benchmarks for food safety.
• I commend the Nigerian Institute of Animal
Science and the Animal Science Association
for supporting Livestock value addition with
its Standards and Operating Procedures for
the livestock sector.
• Similarly, I commend NIAS for its advocacy and
public enlightenment programs on Radio and
Television to promote ranching, commercial
pasture production and value addition in
Livestock, as against sale and consumption of
primary products alone.
• Particularly, the issue of curtailing the widespread
consumption of hides and skins as PONMON
which ought to be tanned into leather for a very
high dollar return to the farmer and the Tanneries
which generated huge public debate and in the
process enlightened more people.
• I expect the development of more competent
regulations acceptable by all stakeholders .
This will give credibility to our set standards
for food safety and thus boost value addition
and international best practice.
• For instance, the activities of the Institute in
the Feedmill sector are already placing the
Feed Industry in Nigeria among global
operators within FAO’s Codex Alimentarius for
Animal Feed Safety. This has built a lot of
consumer confidence for Nigerian animal
products.
• Ladies and gentlemen, in the area of core
competence, I commend the Institute for its
success so far in upgrading the standards of
training for Animal Scientists through its Resource
Verification activities, Mandatory Continuous
Professional Education (MCPE) and the National
Graduate Animal Scientists Examination.
• In furtherance of this, the Livestock sub sector in
Nigeria is the only sector in Agriculture, where
highly skilled professionals such as Animal
Scientists, Veterinary Doctors, Agric Economists,
and Food Technologists etc are privately hired.
This has continued to play an important role in
reducing graduate unemployment in the country.
• Undoubtedly, government will continue to support and
cooperate with all stakeholders in the Livestock sector
to deliver maximum benefits to Nigerians.
• I am quite confident that the satisfactory production
levels achieved in the poultry and swine segments will
soon stretch to other commodities such as beef, dairy,
micro livestock, beekeeping, fodder and animal by
products such as leather, bones, hides and skins.
• Finally, I congratulate all of you for this induction
ceremony for the newly admitted Fellows, licensed
Registered Animal Scientists, Associate Animal
Scientists and Graduate Animal Scientists. I wish you
very useful deliberations during your meetings and safe
trips as you journey back home.
THANK
YOU.