In his remarks, the minister emphasised that the summit aligns with the aspirations and agenda of the Nigerian government to improve the animal feed sub-sector by focusing on the development of a national animal feed policy, feed value chain, feed quality control and safety, National Strategic Feed Reserve amongst others.
“The role of animal feed in Nigeria’s Agriculture sector is critical as it provides essential nutrients and support for livestock and production, an important source of income and employment for many farmers and rural communities,” Mr Abubakar said.
He explained that the animal feed market is characterised by a mix of small-scale, traditional methods and large-scale modern methods coupled with challenges such as lack of access to credit and markets, low investment in research and development, limiting the ability of the animal feed sector to innovate and improve production methods.
“To meet the increasing demand for animal feed in Nigeria, there is a need for innovation and technology to develop sustainable and efficient production methods which will support small-scale and rural communities through extension services training and other support,” he said.