MTN, in partnership with Katsina State government, officially launched the Animal Identification Management Solution (AIMS) weekend, at the Runka Game Reserve, Katsina State.
The launch follows extensive consultations and live demonstrations conducted with leaders and members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) in key Northern states – Kano, Katsina and Kaduna.
At the launch, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, said, “The Katsina State government ventured into this project taking into accounts the call by the Federal Government for the diversification of the economy to the agricultural sector. Kastina State is privileged to partner with MTN Nigeria in the wake of security challenges occasioned by cattle rustling and other worrisome vices to launch this eye-opening innovation.
“I want to inform this gathering that our effort to accommodate this proposal being supported by MTN is consistent with the World Organisation for Annual Health. We are all living witness to the unfortunate emergency of the phenomenon of cattle rustling and its implications.
“I, therefore, call on my colleagues, the executive governors of states in the North West and East to take a clue from our initiative so that together we will prevent the movement of cattle rustling in our respective states.”
The MTN AIMS solution utilises microchips, about the size of a grain of rice, embedded in each animal. These chips use passive RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, allowing law enforcement agents, veterinarians, owners, sellers, transporters and other relevant parties easily determine the ownership and origins of animals using handheld scanners and a shortcode.
This has multiple uses including point of sales validation of animal ownership and the identification of owners of lost or stolen pets and livestock, which will discourage cattle rustling. Also, it will facilitate disease surveillance and control, as well as livestock identification, which is required for international beef export.
Tobechukwu Okigbo, MTN’s corporate relations executive, expressed delight at the successful collaboration, saying, “This partnership further demonstrates MTN’s long-term commitment to working with the government in identifying and deploying innovative solutions designed to tackle broader societal challenges and improve the way our customers work, play and live.”
With its extensive investment in infrastructure and a focus on innovation, MTN continues to deploy new and flexible services, and transformational solutions, tailor-made to address peculiar business needs.
