Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe health and hunger challenges both in developed and developing economies of the world thereby posing a serious threat to the economies and food security issues particularly of vulnerable regions of the world. Currently in Nigeria, there is a great increase in the market prices of crops and livestock products occasioned by the prevailing clashes between crop farmer and livestock herders. There is thus a huge gap in the demand and supply of available essential agricultural products leading to the high inflation rate being witnessed in the country today. With the current population of over 200 million which is expected to double by 2050, the task of feeding these Nigerians is daunting and very challenging. To overcome these challenges, the livestock industry in Nigeria needs to be transformed accordingly. FAO report of 2019 had advised African livestock producers to work to expand the scope of their operations and to invest in productivity-enhancing technologies in order to meet the growing demands for livestock products. The adoption of biotechnological innovations already available in animal reproduction, nutrition, health and genetics, is a clear pathway to enhance livestock production in Nigeria. The Nigerian Government is expected to play a leading role by providing enabling environment that will make for easy and seamless adoption of these technologies. Nigerian livestock farmers on their part should be ready and willing to embrace these technologies to enhance the productive capacity of their stock as well as improving their own welfare and economic wellbeing.
 Key words: COVID-19 pandemic, biotechnology, livestock industry, development, Nigeria
Highlights
Food insecurity is a major challenge in many developing countries including Nigeria
The rising demand for animal products coupled with the expected transformation of the sector will create great opportunities for livestock farmers to expand their businesses into such areas as input suppliers, animal health, service providers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers, etc
There are several biotechnological innovations that can be applied in different facets of animal production in Nigeria to enhance the productivity of local herds/flocks
Summary
Food insecurity is a major challenge in many developing countries including Nigeria. FAO et al (2020) reported that about 12.6% of Nigerians were under-nourished between 2017 and 2019. A recent report by a World Bank group in May, 2020 predicted a further deterioration of the food insecurity challenges especially in the poor and vulnerable regions following the COVID-19 pandemic (FAO, 2019) This is already evident in the current hike in the market prices of crop and livestock products which are grossly in short supply, with attendant steady rise in inflation across the country. The rising demand for animal products coupled with the expected transformation of the sector will create great opportunities for livestock farmers to expand their businesses into such areas as input suppliers, animal health, service providers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers, etc These business opportunities are expected to stimulate and promote socio-economic activities in the country through wealth creation and sustainable food security. There are several biotechnological innovations that can be applied in different facets of animal production in Nigeria to enhance the productivity of local herds/flocks
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