FAO builds capacity of livestock stakeholders ahead ASL 2050 Implementation in Nigeria
Abuja - Nigeria. Thirty (30) stakeholders in Nigeria have been introduced to a scenario building methodology that can be used to identify emerging challenges and opportunities associated with the growing and transforming livestock sector. Identifying these challenges will help recognise alternative policy options, identify capacity requirements and make projections of development for a sustainable livestock sector in the country.
The two-day introductory workshop from 30th – 31st October 2018 was organised under the auspices of the Africa Sustainable Livestock Development 2050 (ASL 2050) project, by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria. The ASL 2050 project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is to facilitate dialogue and consultation among national and regional stakeholders and currently been implemented in six (6) African countries - Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, are beneficiaries of the project. It was launched in Nigeria in April 2018.
The introductory scenario workshop precedes the scenario building workshop that will be held in November 2018. Outputs of the upcoming workshop will help the presentation of comprehensive recommendations to government on how best to respond to the anticipated huge rise in demand, due to growing affluence and population, for animal sourced food in the decades to come and deal with the emerging challenges associated with growing and changing livestock systems.
The aim primarily is to facilitate dialogue towards sustainably improving the livestock sector, through effective policy direction, good governance and conducive environment for producers and other value chain actors. This is to upscale investment in the sector, in response to the eminent challenge anticipated 30 – 40 years from now.
The FAO Country Representative in Nigeria Suffyan Koroma said that the multi-stakeholder dialogues that set the right course for the sustainable development of the livestock sector would prepare the course to forestall the anticipated challenge to food and nutrition security as well as other environmental impacts.
Beside the issues of food security, large populations of rural households depend on livestock for their livelihoods, while animals transmit 75 percent of new emerging infectious diseases on humans and livestock contribute about 14.5 percent to all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, thus livelihoods and health concerns, are also expressed in this project.
At the end of the introductory workshop, participants are capable to utilize foresight methodologies to articulate long-term livestock scenarios and also are expected to be familiar with the approach in articulating future impact assessments on animal, human health, environment and livelihood, as well as understand the presentation of projections.
Participants at the training are drawn from Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Environment, the academia form Universities, Research Institutions, Private Sector, Professional and Non-Governmental organisations, ECOWAS and FAO.
Related Links
https://bit.ly/2lyp4QH
http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7222e.pdf
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David Tsokar
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