NEWS
Soaring Livestock Costs in Lagos as Butchers Raise Alarm as Cow Prices Hit ₦2.5 Million, Blame Insecurity, Fuel Hikes, and Delayed Ranching Projects
The Lagos State Butchers Association has raised serious concerns over the continuous surge in the price of cows within the state, revealing that the cost of a single cow has climbed as high as ₦2.5 million, a sharp increase from approximately ₦1.7 million recorded in 2025.
The Patron of the association, Alhaji Bamidele Kazeem, made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, where he painted a troubling picture of the livestock market and its ripple effects on both traders and consumers.
Kazeem attributed the persistent price hike to a combination of insecurity, escalating transportation costs, and delays in the implementation of local ranching initiatives aimed at boosting supply within the state.
“Cows that sold for about ₦1.7 million last year are now sold for between ₦2.3 million and ₦2.4 million. There was even a time a cow was priced at ₦2.5 million in the market,” he said.
According to him, the situation has placed immense pressure on butchers, many of whom are now struggling to sustain their businesses amid shrinking profit margins and declining purchasing power among consumers.
“The car I bought in 2020 for ₦2.1 million is now cheaper than the price of a cow. That shows how costly cows have become,” he said.
He further lamented the disappearance of relatively affordable cattle from the market, noting that cows previously sold at around N1 million have become increasingly rare.
“If you see a cow of N1 million now, you will be surprised. What we complained about last year is child’s play compared to the current prices,” he said.
Kazeem linked the worsening situation to insecurity affecting the movement of livestock across various parts of the country, particularly from northern Nigeria, which remains the primary source of cattle supply to Lagos markets. He added that the recent increase in fuel pump prices has compounded the crisis by driving up transportation and logistics costs.
“The supply has reduced because of insecurity in the country and, most recently, the increase in fuel pump price, which has made the cost of transportation skyrocket,” he said.
He explained that the rising cost of diesel and petrol has significantly impacted the logistics chain, making it more expensive to transport cattle over long distances into Lagos.
Kazeem also highlighted the inability of local producers to meet demand, pointing out that planned feedlot and ranching programmes by the state government have yet to take off, leaving the market heavily dependent on external supply.
“The local producers are not meeting demand because the feedlots and ranching programme of the state government have not started yet. We still depend largely on suppliers from the northern states,” he said.
In response, he called on the government to accelerate the implementation of the Eko Ranching project located in Gbodu, Epe, stressing that the initiative holds significant potential to transform the livestock value chain in Lagos.
“The gains of the ranch are enormous. It will provide job opportunities for our teeming youths and probably bring down the cost of meat,” he said.