Niger North senator, Bima Enagi has expressed disappointment that Nigeria, with over 40 per cent of West Africa’s livestock population, has failed to participate in the export sector and instead imports meat, skins and dairy products.
Bima, who stated this while speaking to journalists in Minna, attributed the situation to lack of proper policies, laws and investment in the sector.
The lawmaker explained that it was against this background that he sponsored a Bill in the 9th Senate tagged ‘National Livestock Identification and Management Bureau’ for the purposes of livestock identification, registration, traceability, cattle rustling and disease control.
He added, “The Bill went through 1st and 2nd readings but during the public hearing on the 21st September, 2021, then Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and its agencies raised some misplaced concerns that halted the progress of the Bill.”
Bima explained that developing the livestock value chain could…