FG spent N1.65trn on animal import between 2014 and 2017 – Okagbare


Nigeria spent between spent N1.65 trillion importing live animals and animal products between 2014 and 2017, Prof Gregory Okagbare of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has said.

The university lecture, who stated this Wednesday while delivering NOUN’s 13thinaugural lecture in Abuja, explained that the trend suggested “a huge deficit in domestic supply of livestock and its products”.

Delivering the lecture with the theme: That All May Eat,  Prof Okagbare of the Department of Animal Science and Director, Learner Support Services of the university, said in order to live a healthy life, man must consume adequate quantity of animal proteins in addition to plant protein.

He, however, noted that while most plant proteins are deficient in some essential amino acids, proteins of animal origin have balance amino acid profile, and are therefore superior to plant protein.

Okagbare anchored the lecture on the sustenance of livestock industry which he said contributes largely to the nation’s wealth.

According to him, “The sale of animal and their products generate income for both farmers and the nation. The contribution of livestock to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016 was 1875.78 billion naira which constitutes 1.85 per cent of the gross domestic product.

The lecturer noted that the greatest constraint to poultry production in Nigeria could be linked to inadequate supply of day-old chicks, high cost of feeds/veterinary services, high incidence of diseases, inadequate finance and lack of market, which he said, has rendered the mobility of resources within the industry difficult.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Abdalla Uba Adamu, thanked Prof Okagbare for the lecture. The VC encouraged other professors in the university to do so in the interest of knowledge.

The inaugural lecture was one in the series of similar lectures that holds in the university

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