REFORMING THE LIVESTOCK SECTOR
Reforms are in order. But there is no need for a new ministry
The Presidential Livestock Reform Committee recently submitted its report to President Bola Tinubu, declaring that the most viable solution to the farmer-herder crisis in the country is a combination of both ranching and open grazing. “You cannot wake up tomorrow and have only ranching because there is already a large portion of the population involved in traditional pastoral activities,” said the committee’s co-chairman, Attahiru Jega. The committee suggested a 10-year implementation timeline to achieve incremental positive changes in the livestock sector. Expectedly, the committee also recommended the creation of a Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, which incidentally will add to the cost of governance.
Nigeria’s farmer-herder crisis, more pronounced in the North-Central region, has persisted for over two decades, claiming thousands of lives since 2001. Desert encroachment in the north has forced nomadic herders to move southwards in search of greener pastures for their cattle, resulting in fierce competition for resources with farmers. Thus, modernising the livestock sector is key to resolving the herder-farmer violence, which often threatens the country’s political stability and food security.
While inaugurating the committee last July President Tinubu announced that its work should lead to increased meat and dairy production and reduce the violence between herders and farmers across the states. In 2019, federal authorities had launched a 10-year National Livestock Transformation Plan to curtail the movement of cattle, boost livestock production and quell the country’s deadly herder-farmer conflict. But lack of political will, funding uncertainties and other factors conspired to derail the project.
We therefore endorse ideas aimed at proffering sustainable solutions that will contain the spiral of violence between farmers and herdsmen in various theatres across the country. For years, the federal government has groped from grazing reserves to cattle colonies, rural grazing areas (RUGA), and the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) in futile attempts to find a lasting solution. In the meantime, the current cattle rearing practice in Nigeria is extremely unproductive. It negatively affects the quality of our cattle in terms of weight, milk production, and even the quantity and quality of meat. Whereas products like cheese, butter, and milk are everyday staples in Nigerian homes, and whereas the hides and skin are key to the shoe and luxury goods industry, Nigeria imports almost everything.
There is no doubt that a faithful execution of livestock reforms in addition to enhancing peaceful relationship between herdsmen and other nationalities can help revolutionise the nation’s animal husbandry. And while admitting that the culture of nomadic cattle rearing is more or less ingrained, we do not need a decade to transit to cattle ranching. In the past few years, some states in the country have openly welcomed the idea. Some other countries did it in less than five years.
Time has come to emulate countries like Australia, Singapore and Israel where the industry has since been modernised, with tremendous outcomes for their highly exportable meat and milk production. What we need is a national programme of re-orientation, empowerment and complete modernisation of our cattle economy to become more settled. We need large modern farms with the cattle in dedicated shelter and cared for by thousands of re-trained former cattle rearers. This would provide massive employment, create new skill sets and eliminate these ancient bloody skirmishes that increase our national security nightmares. Besides, the livestock sector does not need a new ministry.
The country is too economically constrained to embark on such an expensive exercise. In times of lean resources, when the country is practically living from hand to mouth, it is foolhardy to further push up the cost of governance through unnecessary ministry. The Ministry of Agriculture is big enough to accommodate all reforms that will arise from the livestock reforms.
