elders

Northern leaders and groups have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development and cautioned against allowing the usual bureaucratic bottlenecks and endemic corruption in the public service to hinder its effectiveness.

In separate interviews with LEADERSHIP Sunday, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) asked the federal and state governments to create special lands and funds for pastoral communities.

They appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating the Ministry of Livestock Development, with a mandate to provide sector-focused solutions to address the age-long farmers-herders crisis.

NEF recalled that successive governments had found it expeditious to establish structures such as the Oil Mineral Producing and Development Commission (OMPADEC), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) aimed at resolving a specific set of challenges affecting specific communities in the South.

It stressed that there is no justification to resist or even question the creation of special initiatives to address the needs of herdsmen if these will lead to lasting peace and stability.

NEF, through its spokesperson Abdulazeez Suleiman, said, “Our expectation is for its proper implementation without the usual bureaucratic bottlenecks that hamper the success of good initiatives.

“We also hope that the other government interventions we canvassed will be effective, such as the federal and state governments immediately identifying suitable lands across the country and creating grazing reserves and cattle routes.

“It is also necessary to proclaim a National Policy on Grazing and Livestock Development (NPGLD) to cater to the needs of all pastoral communities throughout the country.

“Another measure should be the immediate setting up of a National Pastoralist Commission (NPC) to act on all matters affecting the wellbeing and interests of all citizens whose livelihoods depend on livestock rearing.

“Government should also immediately proclaim a Special Intervention Initiative through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Ministries of Finance, National Planning, Agriculture and Water Resources, for supporting special livestock development policies and the establishment of special funds to support pastoral communities along the lines of the Anchor Borrowers Programme and other types of federal government interventions,” he said.

For his part, MACBAN president Baba Othman-Ngelzarma has said President Tinubu’s creation of the ministry was a step in the right direction.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday, the leader of the Fulani socio-cultural group said President Tinibu should be commended for the vision amid intense criticisms and pressure by some persons to jettison the idea.

“The president succeeded, whereas former President Muhammadu Buhari, who should have understood the importance of creating the ministry better, failed for eight years. So, he deserves our accolades for making this history,” he said.

He opined that creating the ministry would boost livestock production, enhance activities across the value chain and foster the country’s economic development.

Othman-Ngelzarma said the livestock sub-sector could contribute significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is a veritable revenue earner for the country with a coordinating ministry in place, even as he pointed out that the sector can rival oil if fully harnessed.

“Livestock production has served as a sole revenue source in some countries. Even closer home in Africa and even West Africa, it is a major revenue earner in some countries,” he stated.

According to him, the subsector has always been an important component of the economy, providing employment and income for a large proportion of the rural population while serving as an important source of protein in homes.

He said due to decades of neglect, the subsector’s contribution to the country’s GDP declined to a paltry 10 percent.

Othman-Ngelzarma said that with a ministry in place to harness the subsector fully, the rising rural-urban migration will be reduced as more people at the grassroots level will be gainfully employed.

He faulted the notion in some quarters that livestock is a Fulani/herders’ affair, saying poultry, piggery, and goat-rearing have provided livelihood and income for many families across the country over several decades.

The MACBAN president observed that for the ministry to carry out its mandate effectively, President Tinubu should appoint a competent person, who is passionate about developing the subsector as minister.

“Having successfully created the ministry, the president should appoint the right person for the job. Someone passionate about developing the subsector into a revenue-yielding institution with competing value chains. However, if he brings in someone with a pre-conceived sentiment against the Fulanis or herders, someone who views the ministry as a herder’s affair, his aims of establishing the institution will be defeated,” he said.

On whether the ministry’s emergence will address the lingering clashes between herders and farmers, he replied in the affirmative, saying that since the conflict is over the source of livelihood, the ministry will create a leeway for everyone to be productively engaged.

He said the herders are open to measures encouraging them to settle in a particular location, noting that the constant migration was just a means to an end.

He also debunked the notion that herders resort to land grabbing, explaining that there is land in the North to accommodate them if they intend to own land. He added that the nomad is always searching for an area suitable for grazing, subject to climatic conditions.

On whether he thinks bureaucratic bottlenecks could impede the ministry’s functioning, the MACBAN boss said bureaucratic bottlenecks and corruption have stalled the much-needed development in the country’s public sector. He, however, expressed optimism that the ministry will deliver on its mandate if the right people are appointed and given a free hand with the right political will.

Also, Nigerian farmers have lauded the creation of the ministry, saying it is highly desirable and long overdue.

In an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday, the national president of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kabir Ibrahim, believed that showing herders the real value associated with their herds through ranching and semi-sedentarisation can lead to conflict resolution.

Sharing his insights on the ministry, Ibrahim said the livestock industry has not received sufficient attention from the existing Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

He emphasised that global nutrition security drives the need for a dedicated ministry.

Addressing concerns about bureaucratic bottlenecks, Ibrahim pointed out that the ministry’s unique goal of enhancing security by resolving farmer/herder conflicts justifies its funding and transparent operation.

He expressed optimism that the Livestock Ministry may avoid typical bureaucratic hurdles other government agencies face, especially as the Presidential Committee has been tasked with its implementation.

He cited successful models in Europe and the Americas, where livestock development, beef production, and organic farming thrive.