Nigeria Opens UNIDO Talks on Livestock Tracking to Unlock Meat, Honey Exports
Talks have opened between the Nigerian government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation on a technical arrangement covering the tracing of animals, food safety and the country's ability to sell meat, honey and other livestock goods abroad.
A statement released on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development said the discussions followed a meeting involving officials of the ministry and representatives of the industrial agency.
Central to the proposed partnership, according to the ministry, are the identification and tracing of animals, the strength of laboratories, certification and adherence to the rules that govern international trade.
Chinyere Akujobi, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, told the session that identifying and tracing animals would be decisive for the sector's expansion as the country pushes for greater output and more sales overseas.
"No trading partner will take any piece of meat from you if you don't have a system capable of tracing livestock and livestock products through the value chain," she said.
Akujobi added that safety and quality standards ought to serve Nigerians at home, not only buyers in other countries.
"Whatever we are doing should cut across products for both international and domestic markets," she said.
She explained that the ministry is moving to put in place a policy framework for animal identification and traceability, and that it would value technical help from UNIDO in the areas of infrastructure, software and the building of capacity.
The Permanent Secretary also asked about UNIDO's record with identification tools such as microchips and tags, taking into account what farmers can afford, the equipment that is available and whether such systems can be sustained over time.
Other gaps the ministry flagged for attention include the setting up of disease-free zones or compartments, the instruction of veterinary inspectors at federal and state levels, tighter biosecurity and better-equipped laboratories.
Adalberto Vieira, a Regional Programme Manager at UNIDO, set out where the organisation could come in, saying it could help Nigeria put digital tools to work for the identification and tracing of livestock.
According to him, tying animal identification into databases would improve animal health, give consumers more confidence and make it easier to reach international markets.
"UNIDO has successfully worked on livestock identification and traceability systems in other nations. We believe we can support the deployment of digital tracking technology to guarantee animal health, build consumer trust and open doors to related exports," the UNIDO representative said.
The organisation also said it stands ready to assist with testing and food safety arrangements, naming laboratory capacity, the training of inspectors and certification procedures.
UNIDO would in addition help take stock of what national and regional systems already exist and point out the gaps that deserve priority, the ministry stated.
Should the collaboration go ahead, it is expected to raise Nigeria's ability to export honey, red meat and other livestock products, since the goods would need to be traceable, tested and certified in line with the international requirements that apply.
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