Agric experts harp on livestock investment to tackle food security
A group under the auspices of the Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN) has stated that investment in crop production alone will not ensure food security in the country.
Peter Uadia Aikhuomogbe, the state chairman of the association, stated this in his welcome address during the maiden week/World Egg Day 2025 of the body in Benin City.
Aikhuomogbe, a retired permanent secretary in the Edo State Ministry of Agriculture and Food, noted that negligence in livestock investment would continue to undermine the country’s quest for food security.
He added that governments at all levels have emphasised crop production in terms of technology dissemination, with little emphasis on the livestock sector.
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He, however, opined that the livestock sector is also strong in helping to solve the problem of food security in any nation.
According to him, the livestock subsector holds the key to unlocking immense economic potential, ensuring food security, and creating sustainable livelihoods for millions.
The ASAN chairman, however, posited that the livestock subsector is beset by challenges from the rising cost of feeds and the existential threat of climate change, to the persistent scourge of disease and the need for a modern regulatory framework.
While noting that the challenges are not those that can be faced in isolation, he added that the “academic cannot solve them from the laboratory alone, the farmer cannot overcome them from the farm alone, and the government cannot regulate them from the office alone without working with all the stakeholders.
Speaking on the theme of the week titled, “From Lab to Farm: Forging a stronger handshake between Animal Science Academia and Public Service for a thriving Livestock Sector”, underscored the importance of partnership between researchers, policy makers and farmers.
“The week is all about bridging the gap between researchers and policy makers. We see technologies that are developed at the research level, but they are not going down to the end users, especially those in livestock production.
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“For too long, a gap has existed between the ground-breaking research conducted in our academic institutions. The “Lab” and the daily realities faced by the farmers on the farm.
“The handshake between the researcher who develops a climate-resilient breed and the farmer who needs it to survive a drought has often been weak. The connection between the policymaker in the public service and the animal scientist on the ground has, at times, been disconnected.
“Today, we declare our intention to change that. We are here to forge a stronger, firmer, and more productive handshake. A handshake that transfers knowledge, builds trust, and creates shared prosperity.
“So, we are trying to bridge that gap. We want the academia to have a handshake with officers in the agricultural sector so that they can go to the same technologies that have been developed at the research level to find out who the end users are. That gap is very wide as we speak. So we need to close it”, he said.
In his goodwill message, Andrew Omosefe, the Acting Provost, Edo State College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Iguoriakhi, commended the association for its efforts in uniting stakeholders toward harnessing the vast agricultural potential of Edo State and beyond.
Omosefe represented by Sonia Obazee, the Public Relations Officer of the College, said the theme of the programme aligned with the “SHINE Agenda of Governor Monday Okpebholo-led government in the state.
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Musibau Bamikole of the department of Animal Science, University of Benin, UNIBEN, and David Bamigboye, the managing director, Animal Healthcare Centre, Benin City, delivered lectures on the topic Climate-Smart Livestock Production.
Another lecture titled” Biosecurity, animal health, and disease prevention” was delivered by James Imasuen, Department of Animal Science, University of Benin and Haruna Thomas, director of Veterinary Sciences, Edo State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The high point of the event was the presentation of awards to Francis Uujamhen, the managing director of FEM farms, as the industry champion and David Bamigboye, the managing director of Animal Healthcare centre, as a young agro innovator.
