Cattle are one of the most important livestock species in Nigeria because they provide multiple services to farmers and contributes to the national economy. In order to advance the benefits of cattle production, there are several breeding and genetic improvement programmes which have been implemented to enhance productivity of the indigenous cattle and pastoral livelihoods. However, after about 100 years of breeding and genetic improvement programmes, Nigeria still struggles to derive expected benefits from cattle production. Hence, this study was carried out to analyse previous cattle breeding and genetic improvement programmes in Nigeria to identify their successes and pitfalls as well as potential roles of post genomics technologies for advancing cattle production. The study identified optimization of indigenous cattle for meat and milk production as the main objective of the previous breeding and genetic improvement programmes; unfortunately, major pitfalls of the programmes are unrealistic breeding objectives and inadequate relevant stakeholder involvement. Furthermore, during their heydays, some of the programmes were successful, popular, and exemplary; but the shortcomings in planning and execution contributed to their failures. After analysis of 9 regional and national cattle breeding and genetic improvement programmes implemented in Nigeria, for cattle breeding and genetic improvement programmes in Nigeria to be among the league of successful similar programmes around the world, there is a need to consider genomic selection of cattle for genetic improvement. Also, the study suggested the need for collaborative networks among scientists, ranchers, breeders associations, smallholder farmers, institutions, biotechnology companies, government ministries, departments, agencies; and non-governmental organizations operating in the domain of cattle breeding, genetics, reproduction and production for advancement of cattle breeding and genetic improvement programmes in Nigeria.

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Wattle is of utmost ornamental importance for courting potential mates and influencing thermoregulatory mechanisms which help the animal adapt to the environment. It also provides information on relationship between haematological and serum biochemical parameters. A study on haematology and serum biochemistry of wattled and non wattled Red Sokoto does and their offspring was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Animal Production, Federal University of Technology, Minna. Fifty (52) Red Sokoto goats comprising of thirty-two (32) does four (4) bucks and sixteen (16) weaned kids managed semi-intensively were used for the study Blood samples were collected using 5 ml syringe and 22-guage needle from the jugular vein. 5 ml of blood was collected from each goat used out of which 2.5 ml was dispensed into Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid (EDTA) bottle while the remaining 2.5 ml was dispensed into plain (anticoagulant free) bottles and labelled properly according to the treatment group. Data collected were analyzed using SAS statistical package. It was observed: that wattle had significant effect (p<0.05) on Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), White Blood Cell (WBC), Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Chloride, Phosphorus, Cholesterol, Total Protein, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and Total Bilirubin of Red Sokoto Does but had no significant influence on the haematology and serum biochemistry of wean Red Sokoto kids. Does in T3 had the highest MCH values of 63.50 mmo/l while treatments T1, T2 and T4 had values of 23.00 mmo/l, 33.00mmo/l and 34.00mmo/l respectively. Also Does in T2, T3 and T4 recorded higher calcium levels of 2.54mmo/l, 2.56mmol/l and 2.61mmo/l) respectively compared to values of 2.29mmo/l recorded in T1. These relevant influence of wattle therefore should suggest the deployment of deliberate effort to preserve the wattle gene to prevent the goats carrying the gene from going to extinction.     L'acacia est de la plus haute importance ornementale pour courtiser les partenaires potentiels et influencer les mécanismes de thermorégulation qui aident l'animal à s'adapter à l'environnement. Il fournit également des informations sur la relation entre les paramètres hématologiques et biochimiques sériques. Une étude sur l'hématologie et la biochimie sérique des femelles de chèvres Sokoto femelle rouge et de leur progéniture a été réalisée à la Ferme d'enseignement et de recherche du Département de la production animale, Université fédérale de technologie, Minna. Cinquante (52) chèvres Sokoto femelle rouges comprenant trente-deux (32) femelles quatre (4) mâles et seize (16) chevreaux sevrés gérés de manière semi-intensive ont été utilisés pour l'étude. Des échantillons de sang ont été prélevés à l'aide d'une seringue de 5 ml et d'une aiguille de calibre 22 de la veine jugulaire. 5 ml de sang ont été collectés sur chaque chèvre utilisée, dont 2,5 ml ont été distribués dans un flacon d'acide éthylène diamine tétra acétique (le 'EDTA') tandis que les 2,5 ml restants ont été distribués dans des flacons simples (sans anticoagulant) et étiquetés correctement selon le groupe de traitement. Les données collectées ont été analysées à l'aide du progiciel statistique 'SAS'. Il a été observé : que l'acacia avait un effet significatif (p <0,05) sur l'hémoglobine corpusculaire moyenne (le 'MCH'), la concentration moyenne d'hémoglobine corpusculaire (le 'MCHC'), les globules blancs (GB), le sodium, le potassium, le calcium, le chlorure, le phosphore, le cholestérol, Protéine, lipoprotéine de faible densité (LDL) et bilirubine totale de chèvres Sokoto femelle rouges mais n'ont eu aucune influence significative sur l'hématologie et la biochimie sérique des enfants sevrés Red Sokoto. Les lapins de T3 avaient les valeurs 'MCH' les plus élevées de 63,50 mmo / l tandis que les traitements T1, T2 et T4 avaient des valeurs de 23,00 mmo / l, 33,00 mmo / l et 34,00 mmo / l respectivement. En T2, T3 et T4 ont également enregistré des taux de calcium plus élevés de 2,54 mmo / l, 2,56 mmol / l et 2,61 mmo / l) respectivement par rapport aux valeurs de 2,29 mmo / l enregistrées en T1. Ces influences pertinentes de l'acacia devraient donc suggérer le déploiement d'efforts délibérés pour préserver le gène de l'acacia afin d'éviter que les chèvres porteuses du gène ne s'éteignent.