Every year Nigeria imports milk worth about $1.5billion.

The nation's meat consumption is expected to grow 4x its current level to 1.3million tons by 2050.

A supply deficit and rising demand driven by growing population and middle class thus are creating opportunities in the livestock industry.

With this, the nation's livestock value is estimated at ₦30trn and poised to reach ₦50trn by 2040.

But the sector is not one without challenges and in fact the challenges in the business environment and of production method/scale ((inflation, farmer-herder clash, archaic animal rearing, poor investment and enabling environment, etc.) have ensured an enduring supply-demand gap.

As such, the livestock sector has not lived up to its potential of significant contribution to agricultural earnings than it is at present.

While Nigeria has a livestock count of over 155million one of the highest in Africa, the contribution of livestock to Agriculture GDP is barely 10% compared to other nations with lower livestock head but higher livestock-agriculture GDP.

It is this realisation of the sector's importance different policies and reforms have sought to transform the sector - for instance, element of the Agriculture Promotion Policy, the National Livestock Transformation Plan, and the recent Ministry of Livestock Development.

Indeed, these are important and had partly redirected/could revamp livestock production, but operating in the sector has to entail robust knowledge as we have come to see.

It is why this masterclass event on goat and sheep production was put together, to help for a viable venture and in unlocking capabilities of the discussed sector in meeting the nation's protein demand and generating significant earnings that raise agricultural contributions to GDP.

Opeyemi Abdullah Akande was the resource person. Akande holds a first degree in Animal Science from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) and a master's degree in similar field from the University of Ibadan. He is a Graduate and Registered Animal Scientist (G.A.S. and R.A.S.) with quality years of experience and has assisted people home and abroad setup operational and sustainable farms.

The masterclass commenced with dissecting the current landscape of livestock sector discussing recent issues associated with the sector for instance, the newly created ministry of livestock and development -whether it is good and capable of transforming present production system -and the issue of low productivity of methods of production in the system and how to enhance productivity.

It narrowed down to goat and sheep productions with thoughts on goal for engaging in the sector, followed by presentation on types breeds, identifying them, and selection of breed to goal of rearing.

The discourse also encompassed preparation for stocking, addressing housing and requirements, pen types, housing selection, feeding and pasture, preparation of pen and pasture planting for stocking, appropriate stocking procedures.

The masterclass enlightened on practices to keep pen clean and animal productive, diseases and illness of goats and sheep, how to spot them, their prevention and/cure.

It addressed questions from audience offering broader insights on ways of/practices with goat and sheep rearing, dispelling assumptions, correcting held untrue ideas, and guiding on prudent investment with ruminant farmers as a non-farmer.

Strategy to market and sell livestock produces were also touched, and with the class ending with discussion on the value of chains of the livestock sector with talks on animal skin for consumption and hides for leather.

The masterclass ended with advice in pursuing ambition in the sector in focus.