By Fatima Saka
Experts at the 9th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture have called on African countries to reduce dependence on imported animal genetic materials and invest in livestock innovation, youth development and practical farm-based training to transform the continent’s animal agriculture sector.
The experts made the call during a panel session in Abuja on Wednesday, stressing that Africa must harness its large youthful population and emerging technologies to build a globally competitive livestock industry.
A member of the Presidential Livestock Implementation Committee, Prof. Demo Kalla, described Nigerian youths as the country’s greatest asset, urging governments to channel their creativity, talents and energy into productive ventures.
“Our youthful population is our greatest asset, but it is, on the other hand, a keg of gunpowder waiting to happen to us if we do not harness their creativity, their talents, and their energies and direct them towards productive means,” Kalla said.
He said the opportunities available to young people in livestock go beyond conventional farming, noting that they could build careers and businesses in artificial intelligence, digital platforms, animal tracking, agribusiness, processing, logistics and other livestock-related services.
According to him, the conference was designed to encourage young people to view animal agriculture not only as a means of livelihood but as a major economic opportunity capable of generating significant wealth.
“This conference was designed to bring the youth together to think of animal agriculture not only as a means of livelihood but also as a gold mine that has not been tapped. It is a multi-trillion-dollar economy that is awaiting being unfolded,” he said.
Kalla also underscored the importance of animal-source foods, including milk, meat and eggs, to Nigeria’s nutritional security, stressing the need for stronger investment across the livestock value chain.
Another panelist from Ghana, Prof. Kawu Domako, called for agriculture to be introduced into basic education and urged governments to establish financing schemes specifically targeted at young farmers.
“We need to create a conducive environment to let agriculture become attractive to young people. It can be a small grant, but as they start and they succeed, we can give them a top-up grant,” Domako said.
He noted that many young farmers lack the collateral required to access conventional loans and are therefore forced to depend largely on personal savings, while the absence of guaranteed markets further exposes them to financial losses.
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Domako urged African governments to make food production a priority, noting that the continent possesses vast fertile land yet continues to import basic food commodities.
The four-day conference brought together stakeholders from across Africa to develop strategies for transforming animal agriculture into a competitive, innovative and youth-driven sector, with emphasis on technology, indigenous capacity, financing and sustainable livestock production.
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