Ganduje Launches N113 Million Artificial Insemination Project in Livestock

Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, inaugurated the Kadawa Animal Insemination Center on Saturday, which was refurbished and equipped at a cost of over N113 million by the Kano state Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP).

According to sources, the project also refilled the AI facility with five exotic bulls valued at N9.2 million, with the goal of inseminating at least 25, 000 cows every year.

In artificial insemination, superior-quality bulls’ sperm is collected and used to inseminate females in order to produce offspring with desirable characteristics, such as high milk supply and disease resistance.

Many pastoralists and livestock breeders in Kano state, as in the rest of Nigeria, are traditionalists who have little or no awareness of the advantages of AI breeding.

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Experts, on the other hand, believe that widespread use of AI, not just in Kano but throughout Nigeria, will result in the establishment of a more productive cattle population. Nigerian cows currently produce an average of one litre of milk per day, which is a modest amount when compared to cows in the United Kingdom, which produce an average of 22 litres per day.

“This is aimed at achieving genetic improvement of our local cattle for productivity, thereby significantly improving the income of our herdsmen and mitigating the population’s nutrition challenges,” Governor Ganduje said during the ceremony, which was attended by high-profile stakeholders in the dairy sector, including pastoralists associations.

According to Ganduje, his administration is encouraging AI as part of a concerted effort to transform herdsmanship from a socio-cultural activity to a socio-economic venture, in line with global realities.

“We are enormously grateful to the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihood Funds, LLF, not only for this AI Center but for many other projects across the state in which they invested resources with the goal of addressing the challenges of poverty, food security, and unemployment that our people face,” he added.

Dr. Gana, representing Nigeria’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Olaniyan Alabi, praised the Gnaduje administration for its commitment and love for the livestock sub-sector, saying it is in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to transforming the sector for increased productivity and improved livelihoods for livestock value chain actors.

Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, the State Project Coordinator for the KSADP, said his project, which is supported by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihood Funds, revived the AI Center as part of a broader initiative to improve agro-pastoral productivity and production.

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Breed development, livestock productivity and output improvements, commercial fodder production, crop residue usage from developing sources, fodder banks, improved animal health services, and the establishment of 200 milk collection facilities are just a few examples.