Victor EzejaLady Ranchers Cooperative Multipurpose Society has called on entrepreneurs with special interest in agribusiness to explore investment opportunities in its livestock production.
The cooperative society, set up five years ago as a commercial ranching business entity under the Department of Cooperatives, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives, focuses on livestock production as part of efforts to boost food security in the meat and dairy products sector.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Cooperative society, a coalition of women entrepreneurs with interest in ranching and other related business activities in the livestock value chain, has secured a land in Ogun State for livestock production.
As part of the business model, the group has opened a meat shop at Eko Farmers Mart, within the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa. The shop, which serves as the supply arm of the business, offers hygienically processed meat products, including beef, goat meat, lamb, cow offal, and sausages, catering to the protein and other nutritional needs of the people.
Speaking in an interview with Prime Business Africa during the grand opening of the meat shop on Thursday, 3 April 2025, President of the Lady Ranchers Cooperative Multipurpose Society, Mrs. Aderoju Odunsi, highlighted what informed their decision to form the cooperative society. She said a group of women investors came together five years ago to form the cooperative society to explore opportunities in the livestock value chain following the launch of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) by the Federal Government in 2019.
She said there are a lot of value chains in the livestock sector, which the business initiative would unlock, and called on like-minded entrepreneurs to come and invest. Some of them, according to her, include rearing cattle, goat, sheep, rams, production of dairy products, poultry, and fisheries among others in the livestock value chain.
“Like-minded entrepreneurs can come into our investment plan. We already have hectares of land in Ogun State where we are going to be doing feedlots, where people can also invest in their own feedlot. We have the expertise to manage it, Mrs Odunsi stated.
“It is a cooperative, so we bring the expertise into play, and so, we are not just talking about people to come and invest money, we are also looking for people who are passionate in the value chain where we are so that they can make meaningful contribution to meeting the protein needs of Nigeria. But our emphasis is on natural products.”
She further stated that the cooperative would be organising training on agribusiness to empower women, especially in the area of livestock.
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The agribusiness specialist said the meat shop is the cooperative society’s flagship business aimed at supplying quality meat to the market across Lagos and also expanding it to other parts of the country. She also noted that setting up the meat shop beside the Eko Farmers Mart signals the group’s complementary role with the Ministry of Agriculture.
Emphasizing the critical need for expansion to actualize the full business model designed by Lady Ranchers, Odunsi called on business partners, agencies and organisations that can give the cooperative society grants to finance it.
Speaking on their expectations on the business, she said they want to expand it to all parts of the country in the next few years, covering the whole gamut of value chain in the livestock sector; also contributing to production of organic fertilizer for farming, and biomass, providing alternative energy by converting the animal waste from farms using appropriate technology.
The meat shop was officially commissioned by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Lagos State, Ms Abisola Olusanya.
Also speaking to Prime Business Africa during the event, General Secretary of the Lady Ranchers Cooperative Multipurpose Society, Mrs. Edobong Akpabio, said that aside from empowerment of women, the group also emphasizes distribution of quality livestock products, taking into consideration the health of the people.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
