James Chinda

I am a trained agriculturist with a major in animal science and 10 years of progressive experience in livestock tropical disease management, meat inspection, animal nutrition, aquaculture and capacity building relating to the aforementioned.

I am currently working on climate-smart animal nutrition using every available, locally-sourced feed ingredients in north-east Nigeria.

I am very passionate about managing livestock and seeing to the welfare of animals.

I am James Lawan Chinda, a trained agriculturist with a Bachelor of Agriculture (B. Agriculture- Animal Science) from the University of Maiduguri and over 8 years of extensive experience in agriculture, Food Security and Livelihood (FSL), nutritional crop cultivation, animal health management, public health services and pest control.
Currently, I am the livestock officer of Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI), Damaturu-Yobe state and saddled with the responsibility of training livestock/poultry beneficiaries and Community Animal Health workers (CAHWs), livestock restocking, local feed formulation, animal health and general welfare of livestock of our beneficiaries. I performed similar duties while I served as the livestock specialist of INTERSOS, an Italian non-governmental organization in Borno state, north-east Nigeria.
Prior to COOPI, I served as the program assistant livestock with Christian Aid Nigeria, a UK-based NGO,  and based at Monguno LGA, where I was saddled with the responsibility of leading the field team in planning, coordinating, monitoring and reporting all Christian Aid field livelihood-related activities in the areas of poultry farming, goat breeding, water harvesting and capacity building. Others include supervision and management of livelihood project relating to livestock and construction of poultry and goat shelters, implementation at field level in line with proposals, including strategies and donor’s requirements. I was also responsible for providing primary field level information on assessment, targeting and analysis to elaborate project concept notes and proposals for submission to Livelihood Field Coordinator, amongst others.
Earlier as a consultant Agricultural Extension Officer with Christian Aid, I was responsible for enlightening beneficiaries on new agricultural methods, as well as implementing livelihoods projects such as poultry management, dry season farming (irrigation) of Maize, cowpea, pepper, tomatoes and onion; demonstration of Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) techniques with the aim of building resilience amongst beneficiaries for sustainability and self-worth. Others include mobilization, sensitization, coordination and distribution of relief materials (non-food items-NFIs) to our beneficiaries and encouraging sustainable livelihoods through agricultural rehabilitation and other activities.. It was also my duty to identify some income generating activities (IGAs) and empower the targeted beneficiaries with the raw asset needed to start up the business. All activities in all the four locations were strictly cash for work.
As a public health officer with the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (A.R.D.S) Abuja, animal health management and meat inspection were my primary responsibilities, where I conducted ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections on ruminant animals and carcasses, issued inspection certificate/meat permit after certifying meat fit for human consumption, and kept daily record of disease findings, including gross pathology, severity and judgments proffered. I also supported the Abuja animal vaccination campaign team in rural areas and was responsible for daily supervision of animal welfare and health conditions at the lairage. 
Conducting orientation and training of researchers and students in sample taking and practical teaching on meat hygiene and inspection procedures were amongst my duties too.
As oversight functions, I carried out livestock market survey to be current with prevailing market prices of small and large ruminants and advised dealers and butchers accordingly and also track causes of fluctuations in livestock prices. 
From technical stands, I also kept record of disease prevalence on daily basis and submitted same to the management of animal health department (now veterinary services of the FCT Administration) for further actions.
I was also part of the meat market surveillance team that inspected meat at the markets to ensure that butchers did not sell diseased meat to the public.
I also organized butchers and trained them on how to recycle livestock byproducts such as blood, bones, rumen content, hooves, horns, hides and skin into useful and profitable products, which helped in reducing the buildup of pathogens too.

Bachelor of Agriculture (B. Agriculture) with a major in animal science.