By Ayomide Otitoju
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (NHYPPADEC) have agreed to explore areas of collaboration to boost livestock production, rural livelihoods and economic opportunities across the commission’s operational states.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar, disclosed this on Friday during a courtesy visit to the management and staff of NHYPPADEC in Minna, Niger State.
Mukhtar described NHYPPADEC as a strategic agency whose interventions complement the Federal Government’s efforts to develop Nigeria’s livestock sector into a modern, profitable, sustainable and globally competitive industry.
He said livestock was central to the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians, stressing that the ministry needed to work with institutions operating at the grassroots to achieve its objectives.
The minister said the ministry was collaborating with state governments to establish livestock development centres, where states would provide suitable land and identify livestock value chains for development through partnerships involving federal and state governments and the private sector.
He said NHYPPADEC’s interventions in rural communities, particularly in water provision, infrastructure, youth and women empowerment, and livelihood support, provided opportunities for collaboration with the ministry.
Mukhtar proposed the establishment of a joint committee comprising representatives of both institutions to identify areas of common interest and develop a framework, potentially through a memorandum of understanding, to guide the partnership.
He said areas of collaboration could include livestock production, water access, pasture development, capacity building and economic empowerment in rural communities.
Responding, NHYPPADEC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abubakar Yelwa, welcomed the minister and his delegation, describing the visit as an opportunity to deepen cooperation between the two institutions.
Yelwa said NHYPPADEC was established by an Act of the National Assembly in 2010 and currently operates across 10 states following the inclusion of additional states under the Electricity Act 2023.
He said the commission’s mandate included improving the socio-economic conditions of communities affected by hydroelectric power development through infrastructure, agriculture, livelihood support, ecological management, and youth and women empowerment.
According to Yelwa, livestock development was a natural area of convergence between the commission and the Ministry of Livestock Development.
He disclosed that NHYPPADEC had commenced interventions in poultry production, animal husbandry and small-ruminant rearing, alongside training and advocacy for women in agriculture, including alternative feed formulation and value addition.
Yelwa said the commission was prepared to strengthen its livestock interventions through community livestock farms, poultry projects, community-based feed formulation centres, pasture and fodder development, farmers’ education and water-related initiatives.
He stressed that NHYPPADEC’s interventions would complement rather than duplicate the policy and technical responsibilities of the ministry.
The NHYPPADEC chief executive proposed selecting communities across the commission’s 10 member states for pilot livestock development projects in collaboration with relevant state ministries.
He said the partnerships would create opportunities for pasture and fodder development, technical support, access to financing, youth and women empowerment, and the development of modern community-based livestock enterprises.
Yelwa expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between the two institutions would help make livestock a sustainable source of food, income, employment and economic empowerment for rural communities.
