Nigeria’s Federal Government is calling for increased private-sector investment in livestock processing, leather manufacturing, and commercial fodder production as it seeks to expand the sector’s contribution to the economy from an estimated $32 billion to $74 billion by 2035.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, made the call at the AGROMEQA Expo 2026 in Abuja, where he identified opportunities across dairy production, red meat processing, leather manufacturing and animal feed as areas capable of attracting investment, creating jobs and increasing non-oil export earnings.
Maiha said Nigeria’s large domestic market offered opportunities for livestock businesses to expand production and meet growing demand. He urged investors to provide the capital, technology and expertise needed to develop commercially viable enterprises across the value chain.
The appeal comes as the government pursues its National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy, a 2025–2035 framework designed to address constraints in animal health, feed and fodder, water availability, finance, infrastructure and productivity. The strategy targets an increase in the sector’s estimated economic contribution from $32 billion to at least $74 billion by 2035.
One of the opportunities highlighted by the minister is leather manufacturing. Although Nigeria supplies leather to markets in Europe and Asia, Maiha urged businesses to move beyond semi-processed hides and skins into finished products such as footwear, bags and upholstery. Achieving this, he said, would require better hide preservation, modern tanning equipment and advanced manufacturing technologies.
The economic opportunity lies in retaining more value within Nigeria rather than exporting materials for further processing elsewhere. However, expanding finished-leather production will depend on consistent raw-material quality, access to suitable equipment, skilled workers and reliable routes to domestic and international markets.
Commercial fodder production is another priority. Reliable supplies of nutritious animal feed are essential for improving livestock productivity, particularly where seasonal shortages and rising feeding costs constrain production. Developing fodder businesses could create a market for crop residues, cultivated forage and other suitable feed resources while providing livestock producers with more dependable supplies.
The ministry’s broader strategy also recognises the importance of animal health, water, logistics and infrastructure. Investment in processing facilities alone will not deliver sustained growth if producers cannot obtain adequate feed, maintain healthy animals or transport livestock and animal products efficiently.
Maiha also pointed to the employment potential of meat processing. He estimated that an abattoir handling approximately 500 cattle daily could support about 10,000 direct jobs, depending on its operating model. The estimate illustrates the potential scale of employment around processing, although the minister’s statement did not provide a detailed methodology for the figure.
The investment drive is also being linked to a wider private-sector mobilisation effort. In March 2026, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture announced a proposed $50 billion, 10-year livestock investment initiative aligned with the government’s $74 billion sector-growth target. The proposal represents an investment ambition, not evidence that the full amount has been committed or deployed.
For investors, the opportunity spans several connected businesses, including fodder cultivation, animal feed processing, dairy production, meat processing, cold-chain logistics, leather manufacturing and veterinary services. Developing these links could improve the commercial viability of individual enterprises while reducing weaknesses across the wider livestock supply chain.
NBF Insight
Nigeria’s livestock investment ambition will ultimately be judged by productive capacity, not the size of its targets. The $74 billion goal and proposed $50 billion investment initiative establish the scale of the government’s ambition, but their economic value will depend on how much capital reaches functioning businesses and whether those businesses improve productivity, incomes and market access.
Fodder deserves particular attention because feed availability affects the cost and productivity of livestock operations. Meanwhile, leather manufacturing offers an opportunity to capture more value from an existing export-oriented industry. Both require dependable raw-material supplies, infrastructure, technical skills and access to finance.
The critical test is whether the government and industry can translate investment announcements into operational facilities, reliable feed markets, higher-value products and measurable job creation. Without that conversion, Nigeria risks pursuing an ambitious livestock growth target while the structural constraints limiting the sector remain unresolved.
