No Tag, No Market: FG Unveils New Animal Identification System To Fight Livestock Theft

By MAPHOSA AGUSE

NIGERIA is moving towards a more regulated livestock trade, with the Federal Government planning compulsory identification and digital registration of animals.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar-Maiha, announced the proposed measures on Saturday in Minna while inspecting and inaugurating a modern livestock market.

The facility was developed under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, or L-PRES.

Maiha visited Niger State as part of a two-day assessment of projects being implemented under the programme.

He said the government plans to tag every four-legged animal with an ear identification device.

Owners will also be required to register their animals in a computerised database.

Once registered, the database will contain ownership information and track subsequent transfers.

That means an animal sold from one trader to another would have its ownership record updated.

The arrangement is designed to make it easier to trace animals and establish their ownership history.

More importantly, the government intends to use the system to tackle livestock theft and improve accountability across the sector.

Animals without the compulsory tags, the minister said, will not be permitted to travel.

They will also be excluded from modern abattoirs and designated livestock markets.

The planned restrictions could therefore significantly change how livestock traders move and sell animals.

For the Federal Government, however, the proposed identification system is part of a wider attempt to commercialise and modernise livestock production.

Maiha said improved processing facilities would generate stronger demand for cattle, sheep and goats.

He consequently directed that the Minna market should provide adequate water, feeding facilities, drainage and sanitation.

He also stressed that animal welfare must form part of modern livestock management.

Alongside the infrastructure, the ministry plans to create modern stalls and shops where young people can participate in livestock rearing and fattening.

The initiative, according to the minister, could create additional employment within the sector.

Meanwhile, Chanchaga Local Government Area welcomed the development.

Its chairman, Mustapha Jibrin-Alheri, who was represented by his Chief Protocol Officer, Muhammed Ibrahim, described the market as a major boost for livestock traders.

He also highlighted concerns over the health risks that can arise from close interaction between people and animals.

The council, he said, monitored the project to ensure its timely completion.

He added that the new facility would offer traders and livestock handlers a safer and more conducive business environment.

Despite the progress, the council wants additional facilities.

These include more shelters, rooms for traders and small slaughtering facilities to support the expanding livestock trade.

For traders, the proposed digital system appears to complement practices that already exist.

Muhammad Hadi-Garkuwa, Chairman of the Turaku Sheep and Goats Traders Union, said traders already verify ownership before putting animals up for sale.

He nevertheless welcomed the government’s identification proposal.

In his view, digital identification would provide another layer of protection against livestock theft.

He also identified several potential sources of employment within the new market.

Young people, he said, could work in animal skinning and washing, while others could trade in ropes and other livestock-related materials.

The Federal Government has previously said that animal identification and traceability are central to efforts to prevent theft, improve animal health and develop a more competitive livestock value chain.

The ministry has also linked traceability to broader plans for livestock-sector transformation and access to formal domestic and international markets.

Consequently, the Minna market represents more than a new trading facility.

It is also a test of whether Nigeria can move livestock commerce towards a system built around documented ownership, traceability, animal welfare and improved market standards.

If effectively implemented, the identification system could make it harder to trade stolen animals and easier to establish legitimate ownership.

However, its effectiveness will ultimately depend on reliable registration, accessible tagging systems, accurate databases and consistent enforcement.

For livestock traders, the transition could mark a new phase in which digital records become as important to the movement and sale of animals as the animals themselves.