By Our Reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, who incidentally was a former governor of Lagos state, appears to have bowed to pressure from Miyetti Allah, Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, to create a ministry of Livestock development that will see to the full implementation of the national Livestock transformation plan, NLTP.
The MACBAN Leadership over the years may have set as an agenda the creation of the ministry of Livestock Development, using their contacts in the Presidency and the APC, national Leadership, who has close link with the former Lagos state governor to achieve their goal.
Between 2018 and now, Mohammed Kirowa, and his likes were said to have taken advantage that Muhammadu Buhari, from Katsina state was the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria to push for the creation of the ministry of ministry of Livestock Development but that was how far they could go.
Baba Othman Ngelzarma, who may had taken over from Kirowa as the President of MACBAN, may have continued from where he had stopped to push for the creation of the new ministry that would unleash the potential of the trillion naira livestock industry and end the frequent clashes between pastoralist and farmers across the country.
The northern oligarchy may have joined the Leadership of MACBAN, in the Campaign for the creation the ministry of Livestock Development to compensate the north for the creation of marine and blue economy and the ministry of Niger Delta which serves the interest of the people of southern Nigerian going by their comments.
Based on the report of the Abdullahi Gandunje , a former governor of Kano state and now national Chairman of APC , Commmittee, on Livestock reforms which was said to have been submitted to the President on September 28, 2023, the Nigerian President had set up the ministry of Lives stock Development, by President on Tuesday, July 8, 2024,
. The former Kano state governor had said that that the new ministry of Livestock Resources was one of the 21 Recommendation tabled in the document submitted to the President to enhance the Federal government‘s response to the lingering cases of bloodshed in Benue, Plateau and other parts of the country. The Nigerian President may have given a hint that the ministry of Livestock Development will be created ‘’to further explore the potential in the area when he set up the Gandunje’s Committee in 2023.
The recommendations of the Commmittee which was said to have facilitated the creation of the new ministry of Livestock Development ‘’ to address the obstacles to Agricultural Productivity ’’and open up new opportunities is’’ expected will benefit farmers , processors and distributors in the Livestock farming value chain’’.
Given the determination of the Nigerian President to see to the immediate take-off of the new ministry may have informed why the President has appointed Attahiru Jega, a Professor and former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the Co-Chairman of the Committee.
The Nigerian President may have thrown a challenge to the Gandunje led Livestock reform Committee when he noted that ‘’the traditional method of Livestock farming need to be reviewed and repositioned’’ with the support of the stakeholders, which include the state governments, in order to open up opportunities for growth and prosperity.
The former Lagos state governor who had said that ‘’the Livestock reforms will be comprehensive and collective’’, was said to have given his words that the government will provide the needed incentives ‘’to enable Nigeria address the obstacles to Agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities expected to benefit farmers, herders , processors and distributors in the livestock farming and value chain logistics that will collectively offer substantial commercial and economic advantages.
Indeed, the happiness being exhibited by the Leadership of MACBAN, over the creation of the new ministry of Livestock Development by President as he had created the ministry of marine and blue economy knows no bound. This is evident going by the way’’ the Leadership of Cattle breeders Association are talking tough’’, showing that they had long expected it but not forthcoming.
Barely 24, hours after the Presidential approval for the creation of the new ministry of Livestock Development, the Leadership of MACBAN, may have shown that they have won the battle as they were said to have asked the state governors ‘’to settle pastoralists with grazing reserves designated for herders in the 1960s, that may throw the country into another round of crisis.
Many believe that the crisis in the country may be worse than what is currently happening in the north eastern states of Borno and Yobe states under the siege of the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West African Province, IWAP and the north western states of Kanuna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and the north central state of Niger, where the Bandits Group fighters have made life uncomfortable for the people.
Appearing on Channel’s Television, Surise Daily Programme, on Wednesday, July 9, 204, Ngelzarma, President, MACABAN, who could not hide his feelings had said that ‘’the preservation and the protection of the grazing reserves , particular, in the 19 northern states of the Federation , have become very necessary’’.
Ngelzarma, who had said that ‘’the preservation and protection of the grazing reserves, ‘’ is the only way to effectively address the intractable and internecine challenge of farmers-herder conflict in the region’’. He was said to have repeatedly pointed out that ‘’the end value chain benefits of the cows raised in the northern region are enjoyed by residents of the southern pat of the country ‘’.He had declared that ‘’the Livestock sector if well-managed could turn the economy of the country around’’. He had said the establishment of the new ministry had come at a right time’’, noting that this is what the region have been agitating for over the years.
The MACBAN President may have hit the nail on the head when he stated that the nation’s Livestock sector has ‘’enormous potentials that the new ministry would tap into if the government can organize and fully develop the Livestock sector the economy in a way that the economy which are currently oil dependent can even depend on Livestock as well.
