The African Union has intensified calls for greater investment in Africa’s pastoral livestock sector, describing it as a largely untapped economic powerhouse capable of driving food security, regional trade, industrial growth, and job creation across the continent. Speaking at the First African Pastoral Markets Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Director of the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), Dr. Huyam Salih, urged governments, investors, and development partners to rethink pastoralism as a strategic economic asset rather than solely a humanitarian concern.
According to Salih, livestock contributes nearly a quarter of agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in sub-Saharan Africa and represents between 30 and 80 percent of agricultural value added in several countries. The sector supports more than 268 million pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, making it one of the continent’s most important sources of livelihood. Despite these impressive figures, she noted that Africa captures only a small portion of the sector’s true economic value due to inadequate investment, weak market structures, and limited representation of pastoral economies in national development plans.
To bridge this gap, AU-IBAR, with support from the Gates Foundation, established the African Pastoral Markets Development (APMD) Platform to attract investment, strengthen livestock value chains, and encourage policy reforms. Salih revealed that pilot projects in Nigeria and Kenya have already demonstrated how commercially viable pastoral business models can improve market access, attract private-sector funding, and create sustainable growth opportunities. She also called on financial institutions to increase lending to livestock businesses while urging governments to improve trade corridors and harmonize regulations across borders.
Echoing these concerns, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Dr. Fikru Regassa, highlighted the critical role pastoralism plays in supporting food security, exports, employment, and rural livelihoods. However, he warned that the sector continues to face significant challenges, including poor infrastructure, inadequate financing, climate change, weak transportation systems, and trade barriers. Regassa stressed the need for stronger investment in veterinary services, processing facilities, digital technologies, cold-chain systems, and animal traceability to enhance the competitiveness of Africa’s livestock industry.
Stakeholders at the forum agreed that the sector holds enormous untapped potential. Representing the Gates Foundation, Dr. Tom Osebe noted that Africa accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s cattle, 27 percent of sheep, 32 percent of goats, and more than 15 percent of camels, yet earns only a fraction of the possible economic returns. He disclosed that the foundation is supporting AU-IBAR’s efforts to unlock an estimated $3 billion in pastoral investments over the next three to five years through improved policies, stronger market integration, and better investment data. Experts believe that with the right reforms and funding, Africa’s pastoral livestock sector could become a major driver of economic transformation, resilience, and inclusive growth under the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
source: Leadership
