The National Assembly on Friday criticised the federal government for what it described as paying lip service to the development of Nigeria’s livestock industry, two years after establishing a dedicated ministry for the sector.
The rebuke came during a budget defence session between the joint committee on Livestock Development and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, told lawmakers that despite Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential, about 65 percent of animals consumed annually in the country are imported.
He warned that this trend persists even though Nigeria has the capacity to generate an estimated ₦3.2 billion from red meat exports.
Maiha further disclosed that of the ₦70 billion approved as take-off funds for the ministry in 2024, only ₦20 billion has been released.
He added that none of the ₦10 billion appropriated as capital allocation for the 2025 fiscal year had been disbursed.
The revelations drew sharp reactions from members of the committee led by Senator Shehu Buba, who expressed disbelief over the funding shortfalls.
Lawmakers called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene to ensure adequate financing of the ministry, in line with the administration’s economic diversification agenda.
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Senate Whip, Sen. Tahir Monguno, described the poor funding as contradictory to the purpose for which the ministry was created.
“The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development in 2024 was driven by the gospel of diversification of the nation’s economy.
“It is therefore surprising and disappointing that we are now paying lip service to the livestock sector. It is inherently contradictory to create a ministry and then fail to fund it,” Sen. Monguno said.
Sen. Abdul Ningi suggested possible sabotage as a reason for the lack of capital releases, arguing that the situation might not reflect the President’s intentions.
“This is a ministry that must be supported and properly funded by the federal government.
“I suspect sabotage regarding the zero capital allocation because Mr. President meant well for livestock development,” Sen. Ningi stated, urging the joint committee leadership to meet with the president to address the issue.
The joint committee stressed the need for Nigeria to move away from a mono-product economy and vowed to intensify efforts to secure adequate funding for the ministry to drive meaningful economic diversification.
