The Nigerian Government has said it is taking steps towards livestock reforms by modernising livestock farming to secure the country’s food future.
The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Livestock Development, Idris Ajimobi, disclosed this during an interactive session with newsmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Ajimobi disclosed that as part of efforts to curb farmer-herder clashes and shift herders to modern ranching, his office, in collaboration with the Ministry of Livestock Development, has commenced the revival of grazing reserves and ranches across the country.
He said work has already begun on the Kawu Grazing Reserve in Abuja, as a nationwide audit of existing ranches and the 417 grazing reserves is ongoing to determine those that can be upgraded before new ones are established, noting that the focus is not just to provide the necessary infrastructure, but also to teach farmers modern ways of farming.
“Our intention is to teach, revive the reserves we have, modernise them, and use them as a platform to begin the ranching system that the government wants. It has been successful in other countries, and it can be successful here.”
“We have 417 grazing reserves, and they are more challenging than we would have thought. They are very big, but we are working on reviving them. We have reached out to partners in the private sector and in the international community that are looking to come on board and partner with us for the revival of these projects,” he stated.
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Ajimobi revealed that the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to make Nigeria food secure informed the creation of a dedicated Ministry of Livestock Development, saying the President has set a target that “every child must be able to get a sachet of milk and one egg every day” as a minimum nutritional benchmark, and his team is working towards that goal.
Addressing concerns over insecurity in forests and farmlands, the SSA maintained that tackling kidnapping and banditry requires collective action, asserting that criminals do not thrive without some level of community complicity, often linked to poverty.
He said modernising livestock production and engaging community members as part of ranger forces will complement the efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces, whom he described as “the bravest of the brave”, noting that both government and communities have a role to play in addressing the challenges.
Flow of investment
On the flow of investment into the livestock sector, Ajimobi listed agreements secured by President Tinubu, including a $1.5 billion deal with JBS, the world’s largest beef processor; an agreement with France on livestock and agriculture; and a £100 million dairy production and processing pact signed during the President’s recent trip to the United Kingdom.
