At the recently concluded Livestock247 Developer Connect 2024 Conference, aimed at fostering collaboration between the tech community and the livestock sector, seasoned experts shared their thoughts and vision for advancing the livestock sector in Nigeria.
The event, which focused on leveraging technology to address critical challenges, brought together developers, industry stakeholders, and experts to explore opportunities in this vital yet under-represented sector.
Dauda Musa Wulgo, cofounder and chief technology officer of Livestock247, highlighted the company’s vision, leveraging technology to mitigate the spread of zoonotic diseases and mainstream Africa’s livestock business. He elaborated on their mission, which centres around providing fit-for-slaughter and traceable livestock, thereby ensuring better health standards and transparency in the industry.
“The concept began with animal identification,” Wulgo shared, tracing the company’s journey, which was inspired by the ebola epidemic and cattle rustling happening in northern Nigeria and led to the launch of their Animal Identification and Management Solutions (AIMS) platform. Since then, Livestock247 has established itself as a pioneer in leveraging technology to address long-standing challenges in the livestock industry.
Wulgo said the company has been building for over six years and now is the best time in the sector to collaborate and grow faster, thereby leading to the company’s commitment to equipping developers with the tools and knowledge they need to innovate. “For a developer to build a solution, a problem must exist. Subject matter experts identify and explain the problems, while developers craft solutions,” he said.
To support this, Livestock247 is opening its platform to developers, offering resources such as an industry knowledge repository, which is a centralised hub where developers can access insights from subject matter experts.
Wulgo mentioned that they are building developer-friendly APIs, which are tools that enable developers to build solutions on top of Livestock247’s existing platform, saving time and avoiding redundant efforts.
He also said that they will be investing heavily in educating developers about the platform and its applications, aiming to standardise data and expand sector innovation. Wulgo also hinted at the possibility of making the platform open-source in the future to accelerate sector-wide innovation further.
Challenges and opportunities in Nigeria’s livestock sector
Ayomide Oni, Sales and Marketing Lead, Livestock247, pointed out the potential of the livestock market in Nigeria and addressed the challenges plaguing the sector.
He said that there are over 20 million cattle in Nigeria, alongside millions of sheep, goats, and poultry. Despite these numbers, 90% of the meat and beef consumed in Nigeria are imported.
Speaking on the potential impact of the newly established ministry catering to livestock affairs, Oni said, “The new ministry of livestock development signals a new wave and it means that we can be able to access some of these opportunities for growth. Due to this new ministry of livestock development, a lot of investors are coming in from Saudi Arabia.”
He highlighted that the sector has received investment worth over $1.24 billion from Saudi Arabia, with Brazilian meatpacker JBS planning to invest $2.5 billion into the sector and other investment and funding programmes are springing up. While all these developments are welcome, some challenges still persist, and that’s what has inspired Livestock to fill in the gap through technology and collaboration. According to Oni, some of these challenges are limited traceability, archaic traditional practices, poor disease management, poor data collection, and environmental sustainability concerns.
Oni outlined how technology can revitalise the livestock industry through solutions such as disease detection and monitoring, vaccination scheduling, veterinary telemedicine traceability and animal identification, livestock transport optimisation, cold chain monitoring, online marketplaces, e-commerce platforms for livestock products, and climate impact analysis, among others.
Livestock247 already offers four of these solutions: veterinary telemedicine, traceability and animal identification, online livestock marketplaces, and e-commerce for livestock products. Their online marketplace, Meat247, connects consumers to fresh, traceable livestock products, bridging the gap between producers and buyers.
A Call to Innovators
Livestock247’s Developer Connect 2024 Conference underscored the need for collaboration between technology developers and livestock experts. With the right tools, knowledge, and investments, the sector can overcome its challenges and unlock unprecedented growth for the nation at large. As Wulgo aptly put it, “We can’t do it alone. Together, we can build innovative solutions that transform the livestock industry and make a real impact.”
