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The Nigerian government has initiated talks with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to collaborate on enhancing livestock traceability, food safety, and the capacity to export meat, honey, and other livestock products. This development was reported in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development following a meeting between officials from the ministry and UNIDO.

The collaboration will concentrate on animal identification and traceability, laboratory capabilities, certification, and adherence to international trade standards.

Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Chinyere Akujobi, emphasized that animal identification and traceability are essential for the development of the livestock sector as Nigeria aims to boost production and exports. She stated, "No trading partner will accept any piece of meat from you if you do not have a system capable of tracing livestock and livestock products throughout the value chain."

Akujobi also stressed that quality and safety measures should not only focus on exports but also protect Nigerian consumers. She added that the ministry is developing a policy framework for animal identification and traceability and is open to UNIDO's technical assistance in infrastructure, software, and capacity building.

The ministry identified several areas requiring attention, including the development of disease-free zones, training of federal and state veterinary inspectors, strengthening biosecurity, and upgrading laboratory capacity. Adalberto Vieira, UNIDO's Regional Programme Manager, mentioned that the organization could support Nigeria in implementing digital technologies for livestock identification and traceability.

Vieira explained that linking animal identification to databases would enhance animal health, strengthen consumer confidence, and facilitate access to international markets. UNIDO has previously worked on similar systems in other countries and is prepared to assist Nigeria in deploying digital tracking technology to ensure animal health, build consumer trust, and open doors to related exports.

The collaboration aims to strengthen Nigeria's ability to export honey, red meat, and other livestock products by ensuring they are traceable, testable, and certified to meet international standards.