The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agriculture Lending (NISRAL), with support from the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, has launched a Feedlot Management Training Program (FMTP) aimed at preparing operators in the country’s livestock value chain to tap into the $2.5 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) deal that was recently sealed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with global meatpacking giant, JBS.
NIRSAL described the program as a bold move to position Nigeria as a leading supplier of quality beef to domestic and global markets.
It also said that the training program came at a critical moment when Nigeria is stepping into the spotlight as a global meat investment destination of choice.
A press release that was issued by the Head, Corporate Communications, NIRSAL, Mr. Jude Nnadozie, said that the JBS’ partnership with the federal government would build six modern meat processing plants across the country with two dedicated to beef, which would usher in increased demand for premium feedstock from local producers.
The Managing Director/CEO of NIRSAL Plc, Mr. Sa’ad Hamidu, who unveiled the program’s strategic intent, said that “this is not just another training. It is a targeted intervention aimed at creating bankable agribusinesses by improving feed formulation practices, reducing input waste, and optimising livestock finishing cycles for increased market value.
“As it is, we are preparing Nigerian livestock producers to feed not just the nation, but the world. And this aligns directly with the federal government’s vision for an agriculturally empowered, export-ready nation.”
Nnadozie said that although the $2.5 billion deal with JBS is the most notable in the series of investments bound for Nigeria’s livestock sub-sector, it is not the only one, local companies like ABIS Group are also making significant investments in the meat value chain, creating further demand for high-quality feedstock.