Nigeria launches NAITS for livestock industry

Nigeria has launched the National Animal Identification System and Traceability System, NAITS for livestock industry. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar performed the launch ceremony and said the system aims address challenges faced in the sector including cattle rustling. The system tech is part of the National Livestock Transformation Plan, NLTP, meant to foster greater prosperity through reforms that will make the livestock sector “more productive and sustainable” at the same time that it encourages peaceful coexistence between herders and farmers.

The tech system will have proper identification of cattle and non-ruminants, easy traceability, provision of credit, insurance, and others. It is set to be implemented in all 36 States. Stakeholder engagements and sensitization on NAITS have already commenced in Bauchi, Edo, Enugu, Lagos, Katsina, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and FCT. “The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and

Rural Development under the National Livestock Transformation Plan, NLTP, initiated the National Animal Identification System and Traceability System, NAITS, project as one of the strategies to address the socio-economic and security challenges bedevilling the livestock sector and dearth of data for proper planning among others.

“The Ministry has been collaborating and will continue to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that the National Animal Identification and Traceability System for Nigeria is internationally recognised, efficient and effective to address the livestock data needs of the country. The successful implementation of NAITS will support livestock owners to identify their animals, curb livestock rustling, facilitate interventions in the livestock sector, provision of credit and insurance, livestock movement control, animal recording for genetic improvement and research, ease of traceability, surveillance, animal disease control and enable trade among others.

“As you are all aware, technology advancements have rapidly enhanced productivity across all sectors of our economy. The progress made so far to actualise Animal Identification and Traceability in Nigeria as well as other innovations in Agriculture have been largely driven by digital transformation which has produced exponential results. Am therefore particularly pleased that the launching of the National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) to enhance the activities of our domestic livestock sector is taking place at this time.

“The National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) is a comprehensive animal information management system that will utilize forgery-proof ear tags and cattle passports combined with digital technology to identify and track livestock across Nigeria. This system complies with the global standards stipulated by the International Committee for Animal Recording, ICAR,” said Dr Mohammad Abubakar.