By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
Cross River State has taken another step towards becoming a major livestock production and export hub as the state government pledged closer collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to expand investments in the sector.
The commitment was made when Governor Bassey Otu, represented by his deputy, Dr Peter Odey, received the Minister of Livestock Development, Hon. Idi Muktar Maha, ahead of the commissioning of Nigeria’s first Livestock Control Post and Guarantee Facility at Mfum in Ikom Local Government Area.
Governor Otu said the state was creating the right environment for livestock investors, revealing that discussions were already underway with prospective investors interested in developing the Obudu Ranch into a world-class livestock and tourism destination.
According to him, the Obudu Cargo Airport, located near the ranch, is about 85 per cent completed and is expected to receive its first aircraft by December 2026. He added that scheduled flights from Abuja to Bukalo Airport and from Lagos to the Obudu International Passenger and Cargo Airport would commence in the first quarter of 2027 to facilitate livestock exports and tourism.
The governor noted that the airport project, combined with the state’s strategic access to the Gulf of Guinea through Calabar, would position Cross River as a gateway for livestock exports to international markets. He assured the Federal Government of full support, including collaboration with livestock and poultry farmers across the state.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of Livestock Development described the Mfum Livestock Control Post as a landmark project aimed at protecting Nigeria’s livestock industry by ensuring that only healthy animals enter the country through international borders.
He said the Mfum facility is the first of 12 such centres being established across Nigeria’s border corridors to strengthen animal health surveillance and curb the spread of transboundary livestock diseases.
Maha disclosed that the visit would also enable him to inspect livestock facilities at the Obudu Ranch and explore opportunities to attract both local and foreign investors into the state’s livestock value chain.
He announced plans to establish a modern abattoir ecosystem in Cross River, explaining that a facility capable of processing about 500 cattle daily could generate as many as 10,000 jobs through meat processing, transportation, cold-chain logistics and animal feed production.
The minister expressed confidence that Cross River has the potential to dominate the red meat industry in the South-South region because of its coastal advantage and proximity to export markets in the Gulf of Guinea. He also revealed plans to support livestock production through increased fodder cultivation, dairy development and the short-term importation of hatchable eggs to improve poultry production.
The Livestock Control Post and Guarantee Facility, the first of its kind in Nigeria, is expected to strengthen border livestock inspection, improve disease control and support the Federal Government’s drive to diversify the economy through agriculture while positioning Cross River as a key livestock export gateway by land, air and sea.
