The Federal Government (FG) Nigeria has designed a National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) to identify, monitor, and reduce livestock rustling in Nigeria.
In governments efforts to solve the issues plaguing the livestock industry, NAITS will support livestock owners to identify their animals, curb livestock rustling, facilitate interventions in the livestock sector.
Speaking during a conference,the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar added that NAITS will offer credit and insurance, control over livestock movement, animal recording for genetic research and enhancement, ease of traceability, monitoring, and animal disease prevention, among other things.
Speaking further, he explained that the global trade requirements and consumer concerns for source of livestock and livestock products traded and consumed makes animal identification and traceability very necessary to enable Nigeria compete favorably in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and launch Nigeria livestock and livestock products into the International market.
He emphasized NAITS would be implemented in all 36 states and the FCT, highlighting that stakeholder engagement and sensitization on NAITS have already commenced in Bauchi, Edo, Enugu, Lagos, Katsina, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and FCT and would continue until all states are covered.
The Minister emphasized that the NAITS was a comprehensive animal information management system that would use digital technology, forgery-proof cattle passports, and ear tags to identify and track livestock throughout Nigeria. He also noted that the system complied with the international standards established by the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR).
The progress made so far toward actualizing Animal Identification and Traceability in Nigeria, as well as other innovations in agriculture, has been largely driven by digital transformation, which has produced exponential results, the speaker continued, adding that technology advancement has rapidly enhanced productivity across all sectors of our economy.
