• Nigeria launched a trilateral partnership with Brazil and the United Kingdom to deploy digital tools and data systems in cattle farming.

• Brazil will provide production expertise, while the United Kingdom will contribute data analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities.

• The initiative supports Abuja’s plan to double milk output to 1.4 million tons by 2030.

Nigeria has entered a trilateral partnership with Brazil and the United Kingdom under the “Trilateral Initiative for Climate-Smart Cattle Systems,” a program aimed at improving cattle productivity through new technologies. The announcement was made in a statement published on Sunday, February 22, on the website of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.

The initiative seeks to identify and assess digital innovations for livestock farming, including smart collars, sensor systems, environmental monitoring tools, and digital registries. It also aims to strengthen digital surveillance and precision animal health systems using data-driven approaches.

“Digital monitoring devices attached to animals, remote video surveillance systems, and environmental sensors can generate detailed real-time data beyond what is possible through traditional observation. If we integrate this information into a shared data platform and apply machine learning and artificial intelligence, we can generate rapid, innovative insights to improve feeding systems, enhance productivity, build resilience, increase profitability, and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural activities,” the statement said.

Under the partnership, Brazil is expected to contribute its experience in transforming cattle production systems, which share climatic and ecosystem similarities with parts of Nigeria. The United Kingdom will provide expertise in data analysis and artificial intelligence to support the initiative.

Further details, including the implementation roadmap, have not yet been disclosed. However, the push to modernize livestock production comes as Abuja pursues ambitious growth targets for its dairy industry. In June last year, the government announced plans to double milk production to 1.4 million tons by 2030, with support from the private sector and international partners.

Brazil was the world’s fifth-largest dairy producer after India, the United States, Pakistan, and China, with average output of 36.6 million tons per year between 2021 and 2023, according to the FAO. The United Kingdom was the largest dairy producer in Europe outside the European Union, with average production of 15.5 million tons per year over the same period.

Stéphanas Assocle