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Secondly, the livestock sector is a significant source of employment in Nigeria, providing jobs for millions of people along the value chain, from animal rearing to processing and marketing of livestock products. 80 per cent of people employed in agriculture are involved in smallholder agriculture, including crop and pastoral agriculture. This also leads to revenue generation for pastoralists, particularly in rural areas where livestock farming is a major economic activity, and for the government through levies and taxes. Lastly, it has cultural and social relevance as livestock farming is deeply embedded in Nigerian culture, and it plays an important role in traditional practices and ceremonies in many communities.

While the importance of this industry has been established, numerous challenges have persisted for decades. Livestock farming in Nigeria is still largely managed by smallholder pastoralists and households. More than 80 per cent of the total cattle population is kept by this demographic. Due to economic and technical constraints, there is poor farm management as pastoralists lack farm infrastructure and services and have little to no farm inventory and livestock data. Important data for the livestock industry includes milk yield, vaccination records, lactation records, weight gain, feed intake, and calving. The lack of collection, storage and analysis of these datasets continues to limit the sector.

Current livestock data in Nigeria are usually not farmer-based, but estimates from researchers and government agencies, which limits accuracy and proper planning for development.  A baseline survey by the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support program indicated that 77 per cent of farmers in 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory do not have farm records for livestock. Similarly, pastoralists still engage in archaic practices such as open grazing which is unsustainable and limits productivity.

The past decade has seen a rise in farmer-herder clashes, especially in the Middle Belt region which is one of Nigeria’s important food production zones. Rapid population growth, urbanization and expansion of arable farmlands have encroached on old grazing reserves for pastoralists who are in search of pasture and water, especially in the dry seasons. Limited land, vegetative and water resources are fiercely contested by both parties. This issue is further exacerbated by the impact of climate change in Nigeria which is a driver of desertification, extreme weather effects, and dwindling water resources. Farmers and herders both bear the brunt of climate impacts with little capacity to adapt or improve resilience. A report by Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project revealed that Nigeria has lost 8,343 lives from 1,350 farmer-herder-related clashes between 2005 and 2021 with properties and livelihoods destroyed.

Animal rustling also remains a prominent husbandry problem faced by herders who are raided by marauders, thereby losing their herd and means of livelihood. A 2023 study by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime has linked the surge in cattle rustling between 2011 and 2018 to organized crime and the illicit economy, which overlaps with arms trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, and terrorist financing. Zamfara, the state with the highest rate of rustling incidents, had over 377,245 livestock stolen between 2011 and 2019. Also, over N2.8 billion was paid in ransom and as well as related destruction of lives and properties as raiding is carried out through armed attacks on pastoral communities. There is also the challenge of low productivity and poor disease management. This is coupled with the lack of access and veterinary and extension services. The average weights of popular animals, including cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs are reported to be below the regional, continental, and global averages. This means the livestock sector is severely underperforming as Nigeria still imports livestock from neighbouring countries to meet local demand for its burgeoning population.