By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

In a bid to position Nigeria as a leading supplier of quality beef to domestic and global markets, NIRSAL Plc, with support from the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, has launched a Feedlot Management Training Program.The training is aimed at preparing the country’s livestock value chain actors to tap into the $2.

5 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) deal recently sealed by President Bola Tinubu with global meatpacking giant, JBS. Held in Abuja recently, the first cohort of the training program comes at a critical moment when Nigeria is stepping into the spotlight as a global meat investment destination of choice.The JBS partnership will see six modern meat processing plants built across the country—with two dedicated to beef, ushering in increased demand for premium feedstock from local producers.Speaking at the opening session, Sa’ad Hamidu, Managing Director/CEO of NIRSAL Plc, laid out the program’s strategic intent:According to him, “This is not just training; it is a targeted intervention aimed at creating bankable agribusinesses by improving feed formulation practices, reducing input waste, and optimizing 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.”Amongst other accomplishments, the program targets the production of export-grade meat in Nigeria, while improving the productivity and profitability of the producers.Though 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.Participants in the first cohort of the training program were drawn from the Ministry of Livestock Development, the Agric Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), National Association of Cattle Dealers, Processors & Marketers of Nigeria (NACDPMAN), Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN), Maidoki Farms Ltd, and others.The Director of Ranch and Pastoral Resources Development in the Ministry of Livestock Development, Shekamang Ayuba, himself a participant, praised the training as “eye-opening and apt”, urging its expansion nationwide.Nigeria’s livestock sector, rich in potential but hampered by outdated practices, poor-quality feed, and limited financing, stands on the brink of genuine transformation.NIRSAL’s intervention aims to unlock the full potential of the sub-sector by addressing structural gaps through a blend of technical capacity-building, risk-sharing incentives for lenders, end-to-end value chain support, and strategic public-private collaborations.