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On January 25, 2023, the National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) held a flagging-off event to mark the beginning of their new initiative to improve animal traceability across the country. The event was held in collaboration with Pula Advisors; an agricultural insurance and technology company  at the Dungal, Bauchi and was attended by various stakeholders in the animal industry, including farmers, livestock owners, and government officials.

The event started with a demonstration of the Ranch.ID application which is a new animal traceability system, which utilizes advanced technology to monitor the movement of animals throughout their lifecycle via data matrix barcodes on ear tags. This technology allows for the creation of a unique identification number for each animal, which can be used to track its movements and health status.

During the demonstration, livestock owners and other stakeholders were shown how the system works, including how farmers can use the technology to record data on animal movements and health status.

Speaking on the event, The Team from Megacorp Nigeria Limited, the brain behind the NAITS, described the importance of the flagging off event as a “test run” which would enable the NAITS to create a better product for the wider livestock value chain in Nigeria. 

According to Megacorp, the NAITS plans to build a robust database of all livestock in Nigeria to promote evidence-based policy-making in the country’s livestock sector. “Animal traceability is important in ensuring evidence-based policymaking in the livestock sector in Nigeria. It gives us the foundation to improve the livestock sector in Nigeria,” They said.

“The plan of NAITS is to have a robust database of all livestock in Nigeria.”

They  emphasized the need for a robust traceability system that would allow for the tracking of animals from birth to slaughter, in order to understand the pain points of producers and consumers and further allow for direct measures to be taken to boost the livestock sector. 

Overall, the flagging-off event was a success, and all stakeholders were left with a better understanding of how the new animal traceability system will work to improve animal health and safety.

The Team further hinted that they would go across different locations in the country to have a complete and robust livestock database. They strongly reiterated the significance of livestock traceability to all stakeholders in the country. The stakeholders have been charged to create awareness, emphasizing that it is a long-term initiative that will benefit everyone involved.

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