Nigeria and Denmark have strengthened their partnership in livestock development with the signing of a new cooperation agreement aimed at improving food safety, animal health, disease prevention, and agricultural innovation.
In a statement issued after the signing ceremony in Abuja on Sunday, the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development said the Letter of Intent (LoI) for Phase II of the Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) Programme in Livestock Production was signed between the ministry and the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.
The agreement is expected to accelerate livestock sector transformation, enhance food and nutrition security, strengthen disease prevention systems, and support the development of a more resilient and globally competitive livestock industry.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, described the signing as a reaffirmation of a partnership that has become a model of international cooperation.
According to the minister, the collaboration has already produced significant results, including the training of more than 100 Nigerian officials in food and feed safety management, animal disease surveillance, antimicrobial resistance control, climate adaptation, and veterinary regulation.
Maiha also announced the commencement of a joint antimicrobial resistance pilot programme in Oyo State and Kano State, describing it as a practical outcome of the partnership.
The Danish Ambassador to Nigeria, Jens Ole Bach Hansen, said the second phase of the programme would focus on implementation and field-based interventions, with emphasis on disease prevention, biosecurity, surveillance systems, and direct support for farmers and livestock value chains.
Also speaking, Eva Edwards, Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening cooperation in feed management, food safety, traceability systems, veterinary drug regulation, and data sharing.
Representing the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Alex Sigersen commended the commitment demonstrated by Nigerian institutions and stakeholders, expressing confidence that the new phase of the programme would translate technical cooperation into tangible benefits for farmers, communities, and the livestock sector.
The ceremony was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, alongside directors and senior officials of the ministry, representatives of NAFDAC, and officials from the Danish Embassy and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.
