President Bola Tinubu has created the Ministry of Livestock Development. The ministry’s creation was announced during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope livestock Reform Implementation Committee established to address the issue of farmers-herders crisis.
Present at the Inauguration were the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, amongst other cabinet members.
Recall that President Tinubu in September, 2023, approved the establishment of the Presidential Committee dedicated to the reform of the livestock industry and the provision of long-term solutions to recurring clashes between herders and farmers in the country.
This followed the submission of a report from the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria. The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) had tasked the president to create livestock ministry.
Alhaji Baba Usman Ngelzarma, MACBAN president, made the demand last month, saying pastoralists were looking for the creation of a full-blown ministry for livestock.
‘‘The entire livestock value chain issues can be addressed holistically rather than what is going on now at the National Assembly, working to create a bill for Animal Husbandry or Ranching. Ranching is just an aspect of livestock instead of going for ranching why can’t the president create a pool-blown ministry for livestock so that all the value chain related to livestock issues can be addressed holistically by that ministry? Issues of production, processing, marketing, transportation even security related issues can be addressed if there is a ministry dedicated for that purpose,’’ Ngelzarma had said.
