KEY POINTS
- Jega suggests that in the short run both ranching and the system of open grazing should be practiced to reduce conflicts between farmers and herders.
- Long-term livestock reform for intensive ranching and the formation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
- Nigeria’s livestock sector shows great promise with reforms forecasted to revolutionize the sector and thus offer investment opportunities.
The Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee has forwarded a strategy that tries to facilitate ranching and open grazing at the same time in Nigeria due to farmers-herders conflict.
The recommendation was made by Prof. Attahiru Jega, the committee co-chairman and a former Chairman of INEC when he submitted the committee’s 152-page inception report to the President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
Jega also stressed on gradualism in concerning shift towards intensive livestock production while recognizing that a significant part of Nigerians still practices pastoralism.
“You cannot wake up tomorrow and all the you have is ranching because you already have quite a large chunk of the population is in traditional pastoral activities,” noted Jega.
The enduring reforms in livestock sector intend the Restoration of sustainable improvement
Intensive ranching model will gradually replace extensive pastoralism as shown in the long-term strategic plan of the committee. According to the findings of the report the government should undertake critical interventions such as the creation of Federal Ministry of livelihood development to tackle challenges in the livestock sector, create employment opportunities and enhance economic growth.
According to The Punch, The potential for the livestock sector in Nigeria is huge, number of poultry is more than 563 million followed by sheep 600 million, goats 124 million, and lastly cattle 58 million. Strategically aligning its investment and policies, Nigeria for instance has an option to experience economic growth, employment opportunities and exportation from animal farming.
