I listened to the livestock minister’s speech about the role cattle play in our economy’s growth. One is amazed to discover that practically every part of a cow’s body—from the head to the hoof, skin, bone, bone marrow, blood, horn, and even dung—is a useful and a legitimate source of money; his narration demonstrates that cattle are a good source of income. To make money and provide many jobs for our hordes of young people, we must exploit this goldmine. According to conservative estimates, there were over 22.9 million cattle in Nigeria as of 2022, with smallholders and nomadic herders raising most of them.
“He stated that everything on a cow’s body, aside from meat and dairy products, is valuable and should not be wasted.”
Breeding and raising cattle are a fantastic way to make money all over the world; it’s a gauge of how wealthy people were in the past. The cattle economy, however, is about producing healthy cattle to create wealth and using them to our advantage without wasting any portion of their bodies, not just about owning contemporary ranches. In one of his albums, the late Alhaji (Dr) Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, one of the greatest Nigerian musicians of all time, sang a song called “Eran Malu” that extolled the virtues of cows. He stated that everything on a cow’s body, aside from meat and dairy products, is valuable and should not be wasted. He ended the song by stating that cows are the most valuable animal that God has made that is beneficial to man in its entirety.
In view of this, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar, the minister of livestock, has a responsibility to collaborate with Prof. Mahmud Jega, the special adviser and coordinator of the presidential livestock reform, and other high-ranking public servants to create policies that would bolster this long-standing but undeveloped area of Nigeria’s economy. Conflicts between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers in the Middle Belt, particularly in the Benue-Plateau axis and other regions of the nation, as well as climate change and desertification that force cattle herders to seek grazing elsewhere and a lack of resources and infrastructure that discourages people from investing in cattle ranches in the northern part of the country, which is endowed with large tracts of arable and pasture land, are some of the issues you will need to address and mitigate.
In the same vein, people ought to receive instruction and training on how to package cows’ essential parts into a legitimate source of revenue. For instance, a wide range of goods, such as handbags, wallets, belts, clothing, shoes, and furniture, are made from cow skin. Additionally, cow dung cake is a sustainable substance with a variety of applications. Because it contains disinfecting qualities powerful enough to be employed as insect repellents and kill bugs in the surrounding area, it might be used as a disinfectant to keep mosquitoes away from the area. It is undoubtedly a real fertiliser for plant and crop germination. Potassium, phosphate, and nitrogen are among the elements found in cow dung, which is completely organic and capable of eliminating the farm’s obstinate weeds and insects. Biogas and gasoline could be derived from it as well. Sun-dried cow dung, which is reported to include other gases like nitrogen, hydrogen, 30 percent carbon dioxide, and 55 percent methane, could accomplish this. Additionally, it is a rich source of fibre that may be utilised to create high-quality, thick, and toxic-free paper.
Importantly, there are numerous advantages in using cow hooves for human and agricultural purposes. If it is ground and applied to the soil layer, it may be utilised as fertiliser. Its organic composition aids in the maintenance of good soil. According to reports, the collagen found in cow’s hooves can produce a substance to grow human hair and nails, increase skin hydration and elasticity, and lessen the appearance of ageing in people. Keratin, a powerful protein found in hooves, may be utilised to make a variety of goods, such as fertiliser, glue, and plastic. It might be used to create crafts, buttons, and other ornaments for both home decorations and personal usage.
Rotimi S. Bello, a public commentator, peace and conflict expert, and HR Advisor writes from Canada
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
