…Market Records N7 Bn Weekly from Trade
Jigawa State’s ambition to become Nigeria’s leading livestock investment destination received a major boost on Wednesday as Idi Mukhtar Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development, pledged the Federal Government’s support to transform the Maigatari International Livestock Market into a modern livestock processing and export hub.
Speaking at the Jigawa Economic and Investment Summit (J-Invest 2026) in Dutse, Maiha said the ministry was ready to partner with the Jigawa State Government and relevant agencies to unlock the enormous economic potential of the historic livestock market through value addition, industrial processing and modern infrastructure.
He described the Maigatari International Livestock Market, established in 1929, as one of the largest livestock trading centres in West Africa, noting that although livestock worth an estimated N7 billion is traded weekly, the state derives little economic benefit because animals are transported live to other parts of the country without processing.
According to him, the current system exports wealth from Jigawa while creating avoidable losses through accidents, disease, waste and poor handling during transportation.
