By Felicia Imohimi
The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has intensified efforts to improve, conserve and ensure the sustainable use of Nigeria’s indigenous animal genetic resources.
Dr Sanusi Abubakar, National Project Coordinator of L-PRES, said this on Tuesday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ workshop on the harmonisation of protocols for characterisation, inventory, and monitoring of trends and associated risks in Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) management.
Abubakar said the initiative was central to national goals of boosting livestock productivity, strengthening climate resilience, safeguarding biodiversity, supporting rural livelihoods, and enhancing food and nutrition security.
He noted that the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources, adopted by member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), identifies characterisation, inventory and monitoring as key priority areas for sustainable AnGR management.
According to him, characterisation enables the proper identification and description of livestock breeds, both phenotypically and genetically, improving understanding of their unique traits, adaptive capacities and production potential.
“Inventory provides the statistical backbone by detailing population sizes, distribution and diversity, while monitoring tracks changes over time, identifies risks and enables timely interventions to safeguard these resources.
“Together, these processes form the foundation for informed decision-making in livestock development,” he said.
The coordinator observed that although Nigeria has undertaken major research in this area, much of the data remains fragmented, inconsistent or undocumented.
He added that variations in methodologies and gaps between expert knowledge and field-level practices have further compounded the challenge.
Abubakar, however, said the workshop offers a platform to harmonise approaches, standardise protocols and bridge the gap between technical frameworks and field implementation.
He said participants were expected to develop practical and implementable protocols to guide the characterisation, inventory and monitoring of livestock species and breeds nationwide.
“The expected outcomes include standardised breed descriptors, reliable data collection frameworks, improved inventory systems and robust monitoring mechanisms.
“These will support the development of a comprehensive national database, inform policy formulation, strengthen breeding programmes and enhance conservation strategies,” he said.
Abubakar added that the gathering reflects stakeholders’ collective commitment to operationalising the National Strategy and Action Plan (NSAP) on Animal Genetic Resources, unveiled on June 24, 2025. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Edited by Tosin Kolade
