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In a determined stride toward repositioning Nigeria as a key global player in the beef export market, NIRSAL Plc, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, has inaugurated a transformative Feedlot Management Training Program.
The initiative is designed to build capacity across the livestock value chain, enabling local producers to meet the high standards required by global meat giants—most notably JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company.
This strategic intervention follows a landmark $2.5 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) agreement signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and JBS, a deal that promises to significantly alter the landscape of Nigeria’s livestock industry. The partnership will lead to the construction of six advanced meat processing facilities across the country, with two focused specifically on beef.
“This is not just another training; it is a targeted intervention aimed at creating bankable agribusinesses by improving feed formulation practices, reducing input waste, and optimizing livestock finishing cycles for increased market value,” stated Mr. Sa’ad Hamidu, Managing Director and CEO of NIRSAL Plc. “As it is, we are preparing Nigerian livestock producers to feed not just the nation, but the world. And this aligns directly with the Federal Government’s vision for an agriculturally empowered, export-ready nation.”
Held in Abuja, the training’s inaugural cohort attracted participants from key institutions and stakeholder groups, including the Ministry of Livestock Development, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), National Association of Cattle Dealers, Processors & Marketers of Nigeria (NACDPMAN), Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN), and private agribusinesses like Maidoki Farms Ltd.
One such participant, Shekamang Ayuba, Director of Ranch and Pastoral Resources Development at the Ministry of Livestock Development, praised the initiative: “It’s eye-opening and apt. This program offers a real chance to modernize how we raise and process livestock. We urge its expansion nationwide.”
The training is part of a broader effort to address longstanding inefficiencies in Nigeria’s livestock sub-sector, which has long suffered from outdated practices, low-quality feed, and restricted access to financing. NIRSAL’s approach to sector transformation involves not only technical capacity-building, but also includes risk-sharing incentives for lenders, end-to-end value chain support, and the nurturing of robust public-private partnerships.
While the JBS investment stands as a flagship in the ongoing transformation, domestic players like ABIS Group are also stepping forward with major investments, signaling a surge in demand for high-quality feedstock and reinforcing the momentum behind Nigeria’s meat value chain modernization.
Since its establishment in 2013, NIRSAL Plc—a Central Bank of Nigeria-owned non-bank financial institution—has facilitated over ₦250 billion into agricultural value chains, playing a pivotal role in de-risking and financing agribusinesses nationwide. Through initiatives like the Feedlot Management Training Program, it continues to push the envelope in making Nigeria’s agriculture sector not just self-sufficient, but globally competitive.
As Nigeria sharpens its competitive edge in the global beef trade, the success of this program could serve as a blueprint for agricultural transformation across the continent.
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