Current Prices of Cows in Nigeria (December, 2024)

Nigerians are known for their involvement in big occasions such marriages, funeral, commissioning of new building, naming ceremony among other high profile parties.

In any of these occasions, numerous animals are killed by celebrants so as to ensure that quality and delicious meal are served to guests who grace the occasions.

You will agree with me that cows are the livestock that suffer most in the hands of celebrants in Nigeria due to its ability produce large portion of meat and its ability to nourish the body.

Apart from converting it to meat, rearing of cows is a major occupation for people living in the northern part of the country. 50% of men living in the northern part of Nigeria are regard to as herdsmen due to their involvement in rearing of cows and other livestock.

Cows, therefore,  are source of employment for many of the Northerners which directly or indirectly boost Nigeria’s economy.

There are different type of cows in the country. Some cows are known to be milk producers; while some are known as large meat  producers and the rest are only reared to raise diverse kinds of offspring from crossbreeding.

Here is a quick rundown of the types/breeds of cows present in the country and places where you can find them.

N’Dama

This type /breed of cows are known as good meat producers and they are mostly found in Kano, Kastina and other parts of the northern states of the federation.

They originated from Guinea and they are often regard to as Malike, Mandingo, or Boyenca in some west African countries. They are characterized by short height, bright and attractive colors such brown, Grey and sometimes white. They equally possess short hair and they are poor producers of milk.

White Fulani

Known as “Bunaji” in some parts of the continent, this breed is regarded as white Fulani in Nigeria.

Characterized by long horns and light  colours, White Fulani are one of the best milk producers in the country.

According to many cattle rearers and animal husbandries, this breed of cow produce non-stop milk for  two hundred days annually. They are Medically strong which makes them fit to withstand any weather condition or any  disease outbreak.

In addition to their milk-producing capacity, White Fulani are good producers of meat. These dual purposes make them the most sought-after breed among it peers.

As result of their unlimited importance, coupled with fact that they originated from Nigeria, White Fulani are one of the most common cow breed in Nigeria.

Red Bororo

This breed are only good for meat as they produce only 2-3 liters of milk in one year.  Just as they are called, this breed are red in color and they are mostly found in the northern states of the country.

Nicknamed “Mbororo”, this breed possess long horns and short height. They can walk a very long distance without water as they are used to harsh weather condition of the Northern states.

Sokoto Gudali

This breed are known for their inability to produce many offerings at a time. A sokoto Gudali could give birth to just one calf a 12 months which is totally unacceptable to a commercial cow rearer.

Irrespective of their sub-fertility rate, Sokoto Gudali are the one of most reared cows in the country because of their dual purpose (they are good meat and milk producers).

They are mostly white in colours, though, there are huge chances of having black colored cows among them. They have short horns and they experience miscarriages too often.

Muturu

They have strong physical appearances and they can walk millions of miles without getting tired. They are good conductors of meat and they have low level of fat.

They are known as the shortest breed of cows in the country, nonetheless, they have the fastest growth as it takes them less than two months to grow to a stage where they can be used as meat for ceremonies.

Though, there are some other breeds in the country; however, we are limiting our list to the ones listed above.

In case you are preparing for an important occasion and you want to serve beef to your guests or you’re set to join the ever-growing animal rearing business, we have come up with an interesting and impressive price list of cows and the market where you can get any breed of your choice.

See the current price list for cows in the country below

• Small-sized cow (calf)  =  N60,000 – N80,000
• Medium-size cow (150kg – 200kg) =  N130,000 – N170,000
• Big-size cow (220kg – 250kg)  =  N180,000 – N230,000
• Very large cow (300kg – 350kg)  =  N240,000 – N300,000
• Giant-sized cow (400kg – 550kg)  =  N350,000 – N450,000

Top Cow Markets in Nigeria

• Wudil cattle market, Kano State
• Sheme cattle market, Kastina State
• Potiskum cattle market, Yobe State
• Maitagari cattle market, Jigawa State
• Amansea cattle market in Anambra State
• Asaba cattle market, Delta State

Tips to Note on Starting a Cow Business in Nigeria

This part might not be useful to someone who is just planning to buy new cow for consumption. This is because you won’t buy more than one or two cows for your ceremony.

To those who are ready to invest in cow business, here are some things you must put in place before buying any amount of cow.

• Get a healthy ranch for them

This is the first thing you must put in place as you won’t want to expose them to thief or bad atmospheric conditions.

Their habitat must be clean and healthy so as to avoid an outbreak of disease or infections.

Should you decide to engage them in a free-range system, you must get a better ranch that’s filled with lots of forage and nutritious plants/grass as they move from place to place.

• Get all materials ready

You must ensure that every tools needed for a successful cow business are already in place. Feeding troughs, drinking bowls and other tools should be on ground before you make any decision to get new cows.

You are good to go as soon as all of the listed factors are considered and are produced.