FG releases census on all livestock in Nigeria including goats, sheep, pigs ...

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, yesterday June 2nd, released details of the 2011 National Agricultural Sample Survey, which shows an estimated number of livestock in the country.

At a news conference in Abuja yesterday June 2nd, Ogbeh said the 2011 census on Nigeria's livestock showed that the country had an estimated 7.1 million pigs, 41.3 million sheep, 19.5 million cattle, 28,000 camels, 974,499 donkeys, 11.6 million ducks, 145 million chickens, 1.2 million turkeys and 72.5 million goats.

According to Ogbeh, the figures have placed Nigeria as the leading country in livestock ownership in Africa but this has not translated into adequate provision of protein food for Nigerians. He called for improved commercialization of livestock rearing in Nigeria

[Linda Ikeji]