Rearing of goats, cows and domestic birds like chickens is very common in Nigeria. The market for these breed of animals can be found mostly in the north. But in a country blessed with such livestock, it is easy to buy any breed of goats in Nigeria for the right price and occasion.

While goat production is a normal practice since ancient times, people rear goats for either commercial or domestic purposes. If you want to either buy or venture into the business of goat production, then it would be wise to know how much various goats types are sold for in the market today.

In this post, we provide the types and current market prices of goats in Nigeria this September, 2020. This would enable you decide on the breed of goat to go for.

Types of Goats in Nigeria

In Nigeria, there are two major types of goats and they include: the local breed which consists of West African Dwarf, Pygymy, Sahelian, Red Sokoto or Maradi goats. The other type is the exotic breed. The local breed is more popular in the country than the later.

We would explain in detail these different breed of goats and their features

Local Goat Breeds

West African Dwarf Goats (WAD)

The West African Dwarf goats are also known as Nigerian dwarf goats are breed for meat and milk production purposes. They have stunted growth and can mostly be found in the southern states in Nigeria. With a height measuring 30cm to 50cm, the male dwarf goats weigh between 20kg to 25kg while the matured female weigh from 18kg to 22kg and have high fertility rate including multiple births.

Pygymy Goats

These particular type are studier in nature and similar to Nigerian dwarf goats in weight,size and height. The differences between these goats are minimal. Pygymy goats are majorly breed for meat production and have though skin to withstand any weather condition. These miniature domestic goats have small tits, udders and likes to play due to their high energy. They feed mostly on green vegetables and grass.

Sahelian Goats

Sahelian goats are average heighted and are mainly found in nomadic environment. They can’t survive for long in high humid areas and are used for meat and skin production. Some characteristics that differentiates this goat breed from the rest is its narrow body, shallow chest, short croup and long legs. The average height of an adult male in this category measures up to 65cm to 85cm while an adult female measures 65cm to 75cm. In terms of reproducing, they give birth to one kid at a time.

Red Sokoto Goats

Also called maradi goats or Sokoto red goats, they are reared majorly in northern Nigeria. The colour of these domestic animals are red and their size is small. You can also find them in Maradi, Niger. Two varieties of this type of goat include the black coat and the red coat. The sokoto red goats skins are used in manufacturing things and are also good in milk production.

Exotic Goat Breeds

Alpine Goats

Mostly used for home or commercial milk production, the Alpine goats are bearded in nature and strong. They are medium-sized dairy breed with an average weight of 77kg for adult males and 61kg for adult females. You would get the best of these goats if they are given plenty water and are allowed to graze freely. Due to their quick maturity, they breed from 4 to 6 months and can produce twins or triplets as the case maybe.

Boer Goats

Boer goats or big-sized goats are normally fertile and have high meat production rate. They are characterized with having a white body, red head and red neck. If you want to venture into goat farming in Nigeria, then you should go for this type as the meat produced by this breed is delicious and nutritious. Aside their economic value due to size, they can adapt to any environment or weather condition. The average weight of an adult male Boer goat or its female ranges from 110kg to 135kg.

Saanen Goats

You hardly find this specie of goat in Africa as they originate from Saanen in Switzerland. Due to their sensitivity to excess sunlight, they are also referred to as albino goats. Saanen goats don’t have horns unless in rare cases and their colour is white. They are also heavy milk producers; capable of producing three to four litres of milk on a daily basis.

Anglo-Nubian

This breed is human friendly and are suitable for milk, meat, and skin production. The milk produced by this specie has lots of fats in it. They exist in different colours and can naturally withstand hot weather conditions.

Current Goat Prices in Nigeria (2020)

Aside other factors like type, weight and size of goat, the recent prices of goats in Nigeria depends largely on location and period of purchase. Due to various Islamic and Christian events, the cost of purchasing any livestock during festive periods like Salah, Eid-el-fitr, Christmas, etc, are usually expensive.

The best time to get a goat at an affordale price is usually the non-festive period. It is also advisable to buy from local herdsmen in the North if you want to start goat selling business in Nigeria. It would profit you on the long run as it is cheaper in that region when compared to the south, east or west.

Here are the current market prices of goats in different parts of Nigeria

Goat prices in Northern states like Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, and Yola states ranges from N7,000 to N15,000. While in southern states and cities like Lagos, Onitsha, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt, the average market prices ranges from N10,000 to N25,000.