History and Development of Livestock Farming in Nigeria – SS1 Livestock Farming Lesson Note (First Term)

Livestock farming in Nigeria is the keeping of domestic animals for meat, milk, eggs, hides and income, and it has moved from traditional methods to modern ones.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Describe the traditional methods of keeping livestock in Nigeria.
2. State the challenges of traditional livestock keeping.
3. List the key features of modern livestock farming.
4. Explain how the government helps livestock farmers.
5. Identify the main milestones in Nigeria’s livestock history.

What is livestock farming?

Livestock farming is the rearing of domestic animals for food, raw materials, work and income.

• Cattle: reared for beef, milk and hides, mostly in the North.
• Sheep and goats: reared for meat and skin, and kept by many village families.
• Poultry: chickens, turkeys, ducks and guinea fowl, reared for meat and eggs.
• Pigs: reared for pork and bacon.
• Rabbits: small animals reared for meat.

• Livestock has long been a sign of wealth and a way of life in Nigeria.
• People were raising animals long before modern farms with fences and machines.

What is traditional livestock keeping?

Traditional livestock keeping is the old way of rearing animals with little money, simple tools and no scientific management.

What are the traditional methods of keeping livestock?

• Nomadic pastoralism: the best-known traditional method, practised mostly by the Fulani. They move cattle, sheep and goats in search of green grass and water, and have no fixed farm building.
• Backyard scavenging: families keep a few chickens or goats that roam the compound. They eat kitchen scraps and insects, and return at night to a small shelter.
• Natural breeding: farmers do not choose which animals mate. The animals mate freely.
• Simple tools: farmers use ropes, sticks and basic wooden structures instead of machines.

What are the challenges of traditional livestock keeping?

The challenges of traditional livestock keeping are disease, slow growth, weight loss and low productivity, even though the method is cheap.

• Disease: animals fall sick easily because they are not vaccinated.
• Slow growth: animals do not eat specialised feed, so they take a long time to reach market size.
• Weight loss: long walks in search of grass and water make cattle lose weight.
• Poor breeding: free mating gives no control over the quality of the young ones.
• Herder and crop farmer conflict: moving herds can enter farmland and cause disputes.

What is modern livestock farming?

Modern livestock farming is the rearing of animals with scientific methods such as controlled housing, special feed, breeding programmes and disease control.

• It developed as Nigeria’s population grew and more people moved to cities.
• The traditional system could no longer provide enough meat, milk and eggs.

What are the key features of modern livestock farming?

• Intensive system: animals are kept in buildings such as poultry houses and pig pens, where food, water and temperature are controlled.
• Commercial feeding: animals eat concentrates (specially prepared feed) to grow fast and stay healthy, not grass alone.
• Selective breeding: the best animals are chosen for mating, so the young ones are stronger and give more meat or milk.
• Healthcare: vaccines and drugs prevent diseases such as Newcastle disease in birds and foot and mouth disease in cattle.
• Mechanisation: machines are used for milking cows, processing meat and cleaning pens.

What is the difference between traditional and modern livestock farming?

Traditional farming relies on grazing, roaming and natural breeding. Modern farming relies on housing, prepared feed and scientific care.

How does the government help livestock farmers?

The government helps livestock farmers through research, vaccination, loans, grazing reserves and extension services, so that Nigeria can be food secure.

• Food security means everyone has enough food to eat.

1. Research institutes: bodies such as the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) study how to improve local animals.
2. Vaccination campaigns: free or cheap vaccination stops animal diseases from spreading.
3. Loan schemes: farmers can borrow money to start or expand through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) schemes and the Bank of Agriculture.
4. Grazing reserves: areas with water and grass are set aside for cattle, to reduce conflict between herders and crop farmers.
5. Extension services: extension officers visit villages to teach better methods, such as record keeping and use of better feed.

What are the milestones in Nigeria’s livestock history?

The main milestones are the colonial era, the post-independence period and the modern era.

• The colonial era: the British set up the first formal veterinary services in places such as Vom (Plateau State) to study animal health.
• Post-independence: Nigeria built dams and irrigation projects to provide water for livestock in the dry North.
• The modern era: private companies work with the government to set up milk collection centres, where local farmers sell fresh milk to factories.

Why does the history of livestock farming matter?

It shows how Nigeria moved from following animals to managing them.

• Nigeria has a large population to feed.
• Traditional knowledge, such as the hardiness of local goats, remains useful.
• Modern science, such as vaccines and better feed, raises output.
• Combining both helps make meat, milk and eggs available and affordable.

Evaluation

1. Describe the main difference between how a nomadic herder keeps cattle and how a modern rancher keeps them.
2. Name one government institute in Nigeria that helps livestock farmers.
3. State three challenges of traditional livestock keeping.
4. List three key features of modern livestock farming.
5. Explain how grazing reserves help herders and crop farmers.

Assignment

Why do you think “scavenging” chickens in the village often take longer to grow than “broilers” in a modern poultry farm? Give at least three reasons.