The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the USDA Food for Progress Nigeria Programme to enhance poultry and aquaculture productivity, improve market access, strengthen sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems, and expand access to finance for livestock producers across Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, gave the assurance during a meeting with the USDA Food for Progress Nigeria delegation, led by Mr. Andrew Musa, held on 6th August 2026 in Abuja.
Dr. Akujobi described the partnership as a significant step towards advancing the Federal Government’s livestock transformation agenda under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
She noted that , the Ministry has developed key policy frameworks, including the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS) and the Livestock Master Plan, which clearly identify the sector’s priorities and critical intervention areas.
According to her, aligning development partners’ interventions with these national frameworks will enhance coordination, maximise impact and ensure the sustainability of investments in the livestock sector.
The Permanent Secretary stressed the need for the Ministry to be actively involved throughout the project implementation cycle, including the ongoing baseline study, noting that the Ministry possesses extensive data, technical expertise and institutional capacity that will strengthen programme delivery.
To facilitate effective implementation, she proposed , the establishment of a joint technical working group comprising relevant departments of the Ministry and the USDA Food for Progress Nigeria team to coordinate planning, implementation and monitoring of project activities.
Dr. Akujobi also, advocated greater attention to Nigeria’s informal poultry sector, gender inclusion, strategic communication and wider geographical coverage to ensure equitable distribution of project benefits across the country.
Highlighting the importance of trade facilitation, she reiterated that , strengthening Nigeria’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) system remains critical to improving livestock exports and enhancing the country’s competitiveness in regional and international markets.
She explained that, the Ministry, through its Department of Quality Assurance, Standards and Certification and the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Federation, serves as the competent authority for veterinary certification and import permits in line with international animal health standards.
The Permanent Secretary further disclosed that, the Ministry has fully automated its veterinary certification processes to improve efficiency, transparency and collaboration with agencies responsible for border control and quarantine services.
Earlier, the Team Lead of USDA Food for Progress Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Musa, presented the objectives of the four-year programme, which is designed to improve poultry and aquaculture productivity through enhanced access to finance, trade facilitation, institutional strengthening and stronger public-private partnerships.
He explained that , the programme would work closely with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, financial institutions, producers, private sector operators and other stakeholders to address key constraints limiting productivity and trade across the poultry and aquaculture value chains.
Mr. Musa disclosed that implementation would commence with a comprehensive baseline study to establish performance indicators for measuring project outcomes, assuring the Ministry of sustained consultation and collaboration throughout the life of the programme.
Also speaking, the Director of Agriculture and Food Security Partners of the America , Mr. Gustavo Alvarez, said the initiative is aimed at improving agricultural productivity, facilitating trade and strengthening cooperation between Nigeria and the United States through technical assistance, capacity building and institutional support.
He stated that the project would focus on farmers training, improved production practices, expanded access to finance, removal of trade bottlenecks and stronger partnerships across the livestock value chain.
Discussions during the meeting centred on improving access to agricultural finance, strengthening biosecurity and certification systems, addressing non-tariff trade barriers, enhancing animal health services, promoting indigenous poultry production, expanding access to export markets and improving institutional coordination among relevant government agencies.
During the interactive session, Directors of the Ministry welcomed the initiative and recommended stronger collaboration with relevant departments from the planning stage, inclusion of indigenous poultry producers, wider geographical representation, integration of existing government datasets and enhanced institutional coordination.
The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to sustained collaboration to ensure the successful implementation of the programme in Nigeria.
Henrietta Okokon
Deputy Director
Information and Public Relations Unit
6/8/26
