A Professor of Ruminant Nutrition and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) at Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASFUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, Prof. Rotimi Olatunji Ettu, has advocated for the adoption of scientific methods of converting agricultural and agro-industrial wastes into affordable livestock feed as a strategic approach to addressing Nigeria’s food insecurity, protein deficiency and environmental pollution.
Prof. Ettu said Nigeria could significantly increase domestic animal protein production, reduce livestock feed costs and improve farmers’ incomes by harnessing the enormous quantities of agricultural residues and industrial by-products currently discarded, burnt or deposited in waterways across the country.
He made the recommendation while delivering the 43rd Inaugural Lecture of the University, titled “From Waste to Wealth: The Hidden Power of Ruminant Animals in Combating Agro-Industrial Pollution,” on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
The Professor said Nigeria generates about 140 million tonnes of crop residues annually, including maize stalks, rice straw, cassava peels, and other agricultural by-products, much of which is wasted despite its potential nutritional value for livestock production.
He observed that the country’s persistent food security challenges, particularly inadequate access to affordable animal protein, existed alongside an enormous but underutilised resource base that could support livestock development and rural economic growth.
According to him, ruminant animals such as sheep and goats possess specialised digestive systems that enable them to convert fibrous agricultural materials, which are not suitable for direct human consumption, into valuable animal protein.
Presenting findings from his research, Professor Ettu explained that simple hydrothermal boiling could improve the nutritional utilisation of Cocoa Seed Testa and Sorghum Malt Dust, two agro-industrial by-products with considerable potential as alternative livestock feed ingredients.
He disclosed that feeding trials involving West African Dwarf sheep established that the inclusion of 20 per cent Sorghum Malt Dust in their diets produced the highest weight gain of 6.33 kilogrammes over the experimental period, compared with 3.33 kilogrammes recorded under the conventional control diet.
The research also established that the experimental diets achieved better feed conversion efficiency, with the 20 per cent Sorghum Malt Dust formulation recording a feed conversion ratio of 6.51, compared with 11.05 for the control diet.
He further reported that the sheep retained up to 54.23 per cent of their dietary nitrogen under some of the experimental treatments, demonstrating the potential of properly processed agro-industrial by-products to support efficient livestock growth and protein utilisation.
Beyond conventional feed processing, the inaugural lecturer highlighted the potential of biotechnology in improving the nutritional quality of otherwise difficult-to-digest agricultural residues.
He explained that research involving white-rot fungi, particularly Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes, demonstrated that biological treatment could reduce lignin content in fibrous materials such as rice straw and maize stover, thereby improving their digestibility and suitability for livestock feeding.
According to him, the fungal treatment achieved between 25 and 40 per cent lignin degradation, while increasing in-vitro organic matter digestibility by 18 to 30 percentage points.
Professor Ettu noted that the approach offered additional economic opportunities for rural households, as farmers could harvest edible mushrooms from treated agricultural materials before using the remaining substrate as livestock feed.
He also identified the environmental benefits of converting agricultural wastes into livestock resources, noting that uncontrolled burning and indiscriminate disposal of processing residues contribute to atmospheric pollution, the degradation of aquatic ecosystems and the loss of valuable agricultural nutrients.
He explained that an integrated system of agricultural waste collection, processing, livestock feeding and manure recovery would help establish a circular agricultural economy in which waste from one production process becomes a useful input for another.
The professor added that properly processed livestock manure could restore soil organic matter, improve soil fertility and reduce farmers’ dependence on expensive synthetic fertilisers. He also identified the potential of ruminant manure for biogas production as an additional source of renewable energy for rural communities.
While acknowledging the contribution of livestock production to greenhouse gas emissions through enteric methane, he stressed the importance of adopting scientifically informed feeding practices that improve feed digestibility and reduce methane emissions per unit of animal production.
To translate the research findings into national agricultural development, Professor Ettu called for stronger agricultural extension services to train smallholder farmers in affordable waste-processing techniques, including the boiling of high-tannin feed ingredients and the biological treatment of crop residues.
He also advocated the establishment of organised markets for agro-industrial by-products, stricter enforcement of environmental regulations against indiscriminate waste disposal and open burning, and increased research funding for the development of affordable livestock feed technologies.
Other recommendations included improved access to agricultural credit for smallholder farmers and young entrepreneurs investing in livestock production, feed processing, mushroom cultivation and organic manure production.
He emphasised the need for Universities, agricultural researchers, extension workers and farming communities to work collaboratively in developing practical technologies that reflect local production conditions, available resources and indigenous agricultural knowledge.
Professor Ettu maintained that the effective utilisation of agricultural wastes would provide Nigeria with an opportunity to address several interconnected challenges simultaneously, including food insecurity, unemployment, environmental degradation, rising livestock production costs and rural poverty.
He concluded that agricultural waste should no longer be regarded merely as an environmental burden but as an underutilised economic resource capable of generating wealth, strengthening food security and advancing sustainable agricultural development.
The event had in attendance members of the University Management, the pioneer Vice Chancellor, Prof. Emeritus Kayode Oyesiku; a former Vice Chancellor and Ogun State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, FMAN; the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wole Banjo; the former President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi; and other ASUU members; Prof C.F. Onwuka from FUNAAB; Prof. Olasunkanmi Gbadamosi; the spouse of the Vice Chancellor, Mrs Christianah King Oladipo; Oba (Dr.) Abdul Rasak Banjo, the Olokine of Ojowo; members of the Ettu Family, led by Mr Adesoye Ettu; the Okisola family; Egbe Bobakeye Akile Ijebu; Revd. (Dr.) Bolarinwa Solomon; Revd. Canon Adeoye Clement Kolawole; the wife of the celebrant, Mrs Olusola Ettu; the children, staff and students.