Southern Nigeria Buys N950 Billion Cattle, Other Livestock From The North Annually

Aliyu Abdulhameed, the managing director of NIRSAL, has disclosed that  the total live animals trade between the northern and southern part of Nigeria is estimated at about N850 billion to N950 billion yearly, Daily Trust report.

He made this disclosure at the launch of the Nigerian federal government flag-off of cattle rail transportation in Zamfara State.

The project is is powered by the Nigerian Incentive–Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending, NIRSAL.

A train carrying 500 cows in 15 wagons left Gusau, the capital of Zamfara, for Lagos State in a trip expected to take two days.

Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, represented by his deputy Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad said with the launch, businessmen will have cheaper means of transporting their produce to all parts of the country.

The managing director of the Connect Rail Services Limited, Mr. Edeme Elikume, said the cattle rail transportation marked the beginning of economic diversification that must be sustained.