AU-IBAR convened a pivotal three-day Stakeholders’ Coordination Workshop for the African Pastoral Markets Development (APMD) Platform from April 9-11, 2025.
The workshop brought together 50 key implementing stakeholders, including representatives from COMESA and ECOWAS, to advance market-driven transformations in pastoral livestock systems across Africa aimed at finalizing the 2025-2026 action plan for Nigeria.
Objectives of the workshop
The workshop’s objectives were to:
- To review the detailed Action Plan for 2025 and 2026 for activities to be implemented in Nigeria, outlining priority activities and deliverables.
- To build consensus on the interim structure, membership and the function of the Pillar Technical Working Groups in Nigeria.
- To specify the roles and responsibilities of each implementing entity/person to ensure accountability, integration and avoid duplication.
- To develop a clear implementation timeline, setting realistic milestones and monitoring mechanisms.
- Identify potential challenges and risks, and develop mitigation strategies to ensure smooth implementation.
Beyond the three main pillars, the platform incorporated cross-cutting lenses focusing on improving economic power for women and youth in pastoral communities, enhancing the availability of nutritious food, and strengthening climate resilience in arid and semi-arid regions.
Dr. Yosef Mamo, Livestock Officer, COMESA, lauded the unwavering support of the participants and the extensive need for creating enabling policy and strategic environments to steer the livestock development subsector. It’s on this basis that he noted the increased need for livestock evidence-based investments by the private sector to guarantee them value for money. However, he noted that this would be achievable if data was at the core of decision-making and strategic planning.
In her closing remarks, Director Winnie-Lai of the Animal Husbandry Department of the Federal Ministry of Livestock and Development, expressed gratitude to AU-IBAR for their continued support in the development of the livestock marketing ecosystem. She emphasized the need for structured markets for optimum trade and the need to domesticate the ECOWAS transhumance protocol. Further to that, she affirmed the participants of the Federal Government’s commitment to advancing livestock marketing alongside other interventions to revolutionize the food security of Nigeria at large.
The meeting represented a step change in the operationalization of the APMD Platform, which aims to enhance pastoralists’ access to competitive markets while promoting resilience and sustainability through coordinated multi-stakeholder actions across the continent.
Source : AU-IBAR, 2025
