Nigeria Unveils Ambitious Livestock Growth Plan at COP31, Addressing Climate Concerns
Nigeria has presented an ambitious 10-year National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy at COP31, aiming to increase the sector's economic contribution from approximately $32 billion to $72 billion. This plan, introduced by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, which is less than two years old, has already seen 22 Nigerian states establish their own livestock ministries. The strategy acknowledges the inherent tension between expanding the livestock sector to meet national food security needs and controlling greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane. To address this, Nigeria emphasizes efficiency improvements through better feed, animal health, and genetics, which can reduce emissions intensity while boosting output. The country is also moving away from global default values for livestock emissions, instead using locally calculated and more accurate data, with early findings suggesting some Nigerian systems emit more methane than previously assumed.
