The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (NHYPPADEC) have agreed to explore areas of collaboration aimed at improving livestock production, rural livelihoods and economic opportunities across the commission’s operational states.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar, stated this on Friday during a courtesy visit to the management and staff of NHYPPADEC in Minna, Niger State.
The minister described NHYPPADEC as a strategic agency whose activities complement the Federal Government’s efforts to transform Nigeria’s livestock sector into a modern, profitable, sustainable and globally competitive industry.
He said livestock remains central to the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians, stressing that the ministry could not achieve its objectives without collaborating with relevant government institutions operating at the grassroots.
Mukhtar said the ministry was working with state governments to establish livestock development centres, where states would provide suitable land and select livestock value chains for development through partnerships involving the federal and state governments as well as the private sector.
According to him, NHYPPADEC’s presence in rural communities, particularly its interventions in water provision, youth and women empowerment, infrastructure and livelihood support, creates opportunities for synergy with the ministry.
The minister 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 future collaboration.
He noted that the ministry would also work with NHYPPADEC in areas such as livestock production, water access, pasture development, capacity building and economic empowerment in rural communities.
Responding, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NHYPPADEC, Abubakar Yelwa, welcomed the minister and his delegation, describing the visit as an opportunity to deepen cooperation between the two institutions.
Yelwa explained that 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 includes improving the socio-economic well-being of communities affected by hydroelectric power development through infrastructure, livelihood support, agriculture, ecological management, youth and women empowerment, and other interventions.
The NHYPPADEC MD said livestock development represented a natural area of convergence between the commission and the Ministry of Livestock Development.
He disclosed that NHYPPADEC had already 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 willing to strengthen its livestock interventions through community livestock farms, poultry initiatives, community-based feed formulation centres, pasture and fodder development, farmers’ education and water-related interventions.
He stressed that NHYPPADEC’s interventions would complement, rather than duplicate, the policy and technical responsibilities of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
The NHYPPADEC boss proposed the identification of selected communities across its 10 member states for pilot livestock development projects, in collaboration with the respective state ministries responsible for livestock development.
He said such partnerships would provide opportunities for pasture and fodder development, technical support, access to financing, women and youth empowerment, and the development of modern community-based livestock enterprises.
Yelwa expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between both institutions would contribute to making livestock a sustainable source of food, income, employment, and economic empowerment for rural communities.
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