By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
NIGERIA’s LIVESTOCK and dairy sector could become a major economic engine with the right investment and partnerships.
President Bola Tinubu made this declaration during a high-level meeting with Queen Mary Elizabeth of Denmark at the State House, Abuja.
He said the country’s rapidly growing population requires urgent innovation in food systems, job creation, and rural development.
Receiving the Danish monarch on her first visit to Nigeria in her role as Patron of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s interest in strengthening bilateral ties with Denmark, especially in sustainable agriculture, veterinary health, and knowledge transfer.
The visit was co-hosted by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who also engaged Queen Mary on shared social development goals.
Addressing the ongoing security threats posed by farmer-herder clashes, Tinubu said Nigeria has the opportunity to transform these frictions into “structured economic opportunities” by modernising agribusiness and integrating education initiatives for both farmers and herders. 
He stressed that strategic population management, especially as Nigeria’s population heads towards 400 million by 2050, must remain central to foreign and domestic policies.
He also cited macroeconomic reforms underway and called for direct foreign investment to strengthen domestic production capacity and employment.
He acknowledged Denmark’s role in agricultural and maritime sectors and praised firms like A.P. Moller–Maersk and Grundfos for their contributions to Nigeria’s logistics and food systems.
President Tinubu welcomed Denmark’s humanitarian efforts, particularly support for internally displaced persons in conflict zones.
He said he looked forward to deeper cooperation, especially as Denmark assumes the EU Council presidency and a seat on the UN Security Council for 2025–2026.
The First Lady used the occasion to advocate reforms in traditional Islamic education, calling for recognition of their value within Nigeria’s broader formal learning system.
She reiterated the importance of reducing the number of out-of-school children and highlighted the administration’s school feeding programme.
Queen Mary expressed sympathy over the humanitarian crises in the northeast and commended the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative.
She said her visit aimed to deepen bilateral cooperation in the green economy, women’s economic empowerment, child health, and cultural exchanges.
She is also expected to visit the A.P. Moller–Maersk terminal in Lagos as part of her business engagements.
She reiterated that Denmark remains a key partner in Nigeria’s sustainable development efforts, notably in humanitarian response and long-term support for displaced communities.
