Backyard Bull Fattening: A Strategy For Reducing Unemployment Among Youth In Nigeria: A Review

Abstract

Fattening of large ruminants as a business is not very common in Nigeria. Small ruminants are usually reproduced on the farms or houses and are sold around festivities (sallah or Christmas) or when cash is required. No special efforts, other than grazing the animals, are made by many smallholder farmers and pastoralists to “fatten†them. A similar situation exists for fattening of large ruminants (bulls) as a business. Most farmers in Nigeria sell their bulls once they have used them to plough their farm for a number of years. Little or no inputs and improved management practices have been introduced to “fatten†these animals commercially. Lack of interest in bull fattening as a means of employment is no doubt one of the major contributing factors to the problem of youth unemployment in Nigeria.  The high rate of Youth unemployment is not only because there are no jobs at all, but because the youth, especially educated, prefer to wait for well-paid jobs in the formal sector instead of engaging in other activities like bull fattening businesses. The paper discussed the unemployment situation in Nigeria, bull fattening business and its profitability in Nigeria, Importance of bull fattening; Status of fattening in Nigeria; Strategy for effective bull fattening business in Nigeria; Feeding requirements of fattening bulls; and Challenges of Bull Fattening Business Enterprise in Nigeria and some recommendations and conclusion were proffered. The following are some of the recommendations that both rural and urban fatteners should be encourage to participate in animal production and related agricultural business, there should be adequate exposure of fatteners/students to the practical guides or skills through adequate provision of training in the bull fattening for effective production, government should provide preventive, curative drugs that can help to minimise pests and diseases invasion in Nigeria.