APMD seeks to create numerous job opportunities in Nigeria — AU-IBAR

DIRECTOR, African Union-Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), Dr. Huyam Salih, has said that the African Pastoral Market Development (APMD) platform, by the AU-IBAR is set to create jobs, drive growth and help attract more foreign and local investments into the livestock industry.

Salih, made this known during the APMD’s Technical Work Planning and Stakeholder Engagement Workshop in Abuja.

Represented by APMD Project Coordinator, Professor Ahmed Eibeltagy, she said the existence of APMD’s platform will enhance the contributions of the pastoral farming in Nigeria as well as raise the efficiency of the livestock sector with many projects expected to come into the economy.

She reiterated that the platform is meant to achieve strong, comprehensive and sustainable livestock industry growth, with a focus on the quality of cattle, capacities of pastoralists and strategies to supports employment, providing thousands of job opportunities.

She described the APMD Platform as a beacon of hope for millions of pastoralists, stating that: “The launch of the APMD Platform occurs at a pivotal moment, allowing us to address existing challenges. By promoting collaboration and innovation, we can create sustainable growth opportunities. This workshop is a crucial step towards developing strategies that empower pastoral communities and facilitate transformation.”

She outlined three primary pillars guiding their initiatives: an enabling policy environment, a functional data ecosystem, and private-sector integration.

She expressed gratitude to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their financial backing and strategic collaboration, noting that their ongoing investment in the pastoral livestock value chain is both visionary and impactful, helping to tackle significant challenges and foster sustainable economic growth for pastoral communities throughout the region.

She concluded : “As Nigeria serves as one of our leading countries, I am optimistic that the insights and success stories shared during this workshop will motivate other nations to join our efforts.”

APMD Platform Technical Pillar Planning and Stakeholder Engagement workshop brought together multisectoral stakeholders from Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon  and Chad  to chart a transformative path for Africa’s pastoral communities.

She stated that Nigeria and Kenya have been identified as lighthouse  countries for the APMD project.

She further  noted that the lessons learned from the implementation of APMD in the two countries  are anticipated to assist other African nations in improving their pastoral markets

“The goal is to foster collaboration among pastoral livestock stakeholders and ensure that pastoralists can access more profitable markets while ensuring food security across Africa,” she added.

The Focal Person APMD Nigeria, Musa Ahmed , stated that rising demand has pushed local farmers to produce more animal protein, including cattle, sheep, and goats.

To this end , he stated that a marketing platform was required to ensure that cattle farmers had a good income, that domestic market prices were balanced, and that meat was available.