Beyond Cattle & Poultry: Edo’s New Drive To Modernise Livestock Production

By TOSAN OYAKHILOME-AKAHOMEN

A New Direction for Edo’s Livestock Sector

EDO State is looking beyond traditional livestock production as it seeks to expand food production, attract investment and create employment through a more modern animal-husbandry industry.

The state government’s latest move has taken the search for technology and expertise beyond Nigeria’s borders. Officials represented Edo at the 35th Sommet de l’Élevage in Clermont-Ferrand, France, one of Europe’s major international livestock trade gatherings.

The Special Adviser to Governor Monday Okpebholo on Livestock Development, Roland Igbadumhe, said the state’s participation was designed to connect Edo with international expertise, production technologies and potential investors.

According to him, the objective is to move livestock farming towards a more commercially viable and technology-driven model.

That ambition comes at a time when food security has become a major policy concern across Nigeria, with rising demand for locally produced meat and other animal products placing greater pressure on domestic agricultural systems.

Looking Beyond Traditional Production

For decades, livestock production in many parts of Nigeria has operated through a mixture of pastoralism, smallholder farming and relatively low levels of mechanisation.

Edo’s new approach seeks to introduce a different model.

At the French summit, the state delegation held discussions with livestock breeding specialists, sustainable feed producers and manufacturers of modern processing equipment.

The purpose, Igbadumhe said, was to identify technologies and partnerships that could be adapted to Edo’s own agricultural environment.

That adaptation will be critical.

Imported technology alone cannot transform a livestock industry unless it fits local production conditions, farmer capacity, land availability, animal-health requirements, feed systems and market realities.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply acquiring modern equipment. It is creating an ecosystem in which technology can actually improve productivity and farmers can afford to use it.

The Investment Question

Edo is also looking beyond technology.

Investment sits at the centre of the state’s strategy.

Igbadumhe said the delegation used the international summit to explore foreign direct investment and strategic partnerships for the state’s livestock sector.

The state’s pitch includes opportunities across poultry, pig production and ruminants, alongside proposed grazing reserves and farmer-capacity programmes.

Such an approach reflects a broader shift in agricultural thinking.

Livestock is no longer being viewed merely as an activity for individual farmers. Instead, it can form part of a larger value chain involving breeding, feed production, veterinary services, animal health, transportation, processing, storage, marketing and retail.

Each link creates potential economic activity.

More importantly, the strength of the entire chain can determine whether increased production actually translates into better food availability and higher farmer incomes.

Food Security Begins With Production Capacity

The food-security argument is straightforward.

Nigeria’s population continues to generate strong demand for protein, including meat, eggs and other livestock products. When domestic production fails to keep pace with demand, supply pressures can contribute to higher prices and increased dependence on external sources.

Edo’s strategy is therefore aimed at increasing the productive capacity of its own agricultural economy.

Igbadumhe said the administration expects modern livestock production to contribute to food security, create rural employment and diversify the state economy.

The ambition is significant, but the outcome will depend on implementation.

Production must rise sustainably. Farmers must have access to affordable inputs. Animal health must receive adequate attention. Processing and storage infrastructure must expand. Markets must remain accessible.

Without those supporting systems, investment announcements can remain disconnected from the daily realities of farmers.

Grazing Reserves & the Land Question

Among the initiatives presented by the state delegation are plans for dedicated grazing reserves.

That proposal carries economic and environmental implications.

Well-managed livestock production requires access to land, water, feed and veterinary services. However, land-use decisions can also affect farmers, communities and other agricultural activities.

Consequently, any expansion of grazing infrastructure will require clear planning, transparent land arrangements and effective engagement with affected communities.

The broader objective should be to create predictable production conditions while reducing competition over agricultural resources.

The state’s stated interest in systems that increase productivity and reduce environmental pressure suggests that it is looking beyond simple expansion of herd numbers.

The more fundamental question is whether productivity per animal, per hectare and per farmer can be improved.

Technology Must Reach the Farmer

International agricultural exhibitions often showcase technologies that are far more advanced than what small-scale farmers can immediately afford.

That creates a familiar policy challenge.

A government can establish international contacts and identify modern equipment, but the real test begins when the technology reaches farms.

Farmers need training.

They need financing.

They need reliable inputs.

They need veterinary support.

They also need markets capable of absorbing increased production.

For that reason, the capacity-building component of Edo’s strategy could prove as important as the technology itself.

If farmers understand new breeding methods, feed systems, animal-health practices and processing technologies, productivity gains can become more sustainable.

From Farm Production to a Wider Economy

The livestock sector can potentially generate employment far beyond the farm.

Feed mills require workers.

Breeding centres require technical personnel.

Veterinary services create professional opportunities.

Processing plants generate industrial jobs.

Transporters move animals and products.

Cold-chain operators preserve meat.

Retailers connect products to consumers.

This wider value chain explains why the Edo government is linking livestock development to economic diversification.

The objective is not simply to produce more animals.

It is to create an integrated economic system around animal production.

If successfully developed, such a system could provide new opportunities for rural communities while expanding the state’s agricultural tax and investment base.

The International Partnership Test

The Sommet de l’Élevage provides Edo with access to an international network of producers, breeders, technology companies, investors and policymakers. The 2026 edition runs from October 6 to 9 and is built around livestock genetics, innovation, sustainable agriculture and related production systems.

For Edo, however, the value of participation will ultimately be measured after the exhibition closes.

The important question is what happens to the relationships established in France.

Will they produce investment agreements?

Will technology partnerships move from discussions to implementation?

Will local farmers receive access to improved breeding and production systems?

Will new processing capacity emerge?

Will rural employment increase?

Those are the indicators that will determine whether agricultural diplomacy produces tangible economic results.

A Livestock Strategy With Wider Consequences

Edo’s livestock initiative therefore represents a potentially broader economic experiment.

At its core is an attempt to connect global agricultural knowledge with local production needs.

The government wants to use international partnerships to introduce modern technology, improve productivity and attract investment. It also wants the sector to contribute to food security, rural employment and economic diversification.

Yet modernisation will require more than international exposure.

It will require sustained investment, farmer training, infrastructure, animal-health systems, appropriate land-use planning, access to finance and functioning markets.

The real transformation will not take place in an exhibition hall in France.

It will take place on farms, in processing facilities, across rural communities and throughout the markets that connect producers to consumers.

That is where Edo’s livestock ambition will ultimately be tested.