October 27, (THEWILL) – Five years after its official launch in 2019, the National Livestock Transformation Plan is about to get off the drawing board. The Federal Government conceived the plan, envisaged to end the long-drawn farmer-herder conflict that had impacted farming and ultimately food security. Many states that felt it was another attempt to reintroduce the controversial land grabbing plan, named RUGA, a Fulani term for farm settlement, opposed it.
Smarting from the national clamour against RUGA, the Federal Government failed to summon the political will to see the plan through. Social political organisations like Afenifere and the Middle Belt Forum and state governments like Benue supported the proposed ban on open grazing bill in the National Assembly, while groups like Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria vehemently opposed it. This created a stalemate.
Meanwhile, violence fuelled by environmental degradation and competition over land increased long-running tensions in the country’s northern and central geo-political zones, prompting the Federal Government to introduce a far-reaching set of reforms for the livestock sector.
The National Livestock Transformation Plan appeared to be the middle ground for the contending parties. Still, the government failed to deploy the necessary political will to get it off the drawing board.
The new plan was designed to be the country’s comprehensive strategy to encourage pastoralists to switch to ranching and other sedentary livestock production systems and resolve the herder-farmer conflict, which threatened Nigeria’s political stability and food security.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration came up with the plan, following a wave of violence between herders and farmers – and particularly a surge in related violence afflicting rural dwellers in 2018. Under it, the Federal Government committed to fund 80 per cent of the transformation proposals and participating states, the remaining 20 per cent.
Both parties took preliminary steps like help with field surveys and site mapping towards putting the Plan into practice. Several states have reactivated earlier-demarcated grazing reserves, opened offices and set up steering committees to administer the Plan. The governments also held workshops to explain the benefits of livestock reform to a larger audience.
Speaking at the launch of the plan in Yola, Adamawa State in 2019, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said, “The National Economic Council that is composed of the governors of the 36 States met at the height of the farmer-herder crisis in Nigeria to look for possible ways of resolving the problem and ensuring economic growth at the same time. The governors set up a Committee comprising the governors of the following states: Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Delta, Oyo, Taraba , Zamfara and Plateau to develop a plan.”
“That plan is what we christened the National Livestock Transformation Plan. After the plan was designed by that committee of governors it went back to the governors at NEC and was endorsed by all the 36 state governors.”
According to Osinbajo, it was agreed that some states would be selected as pilot states for the plan. They were seven, namely Adamawa, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.
“The essence of the plan is that it is a collaboration between the Federal Government, State governments, farmers, pastoralists and private investors, he said, adding: “In this plan, the Federal Government will not take any parcel of land from a state or local government. Any participating state will provide the land as its own contribution to the project. The Federal Government merely supports the project.
“It is a plan that hopes to birth tailor-made ranches where cattle are bred and meat and dairy products are produced, using modern livestock methods. This solves the problem of cattle grazing into and destroying farmlands.”
Yet the government failed to implement it. Upon ascension to office, President Bola Tinubu revisited the plan. He appointed a committee headed by a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, to look into the plan again.
A day after the government announced the creation of a Ministry of Livestock Development with an animal famer Idi Mukta Malha as Minister, it held a workshop to put the final touches to the plan through full stakeholder participation.
Addressing participants at a two-day Consultative Workshop of Livestock Reforms held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, President Tinubu gave the public the assurance that past mistakes, such as neglecting livestock farming and relying on dairy imports, would be avoided.
He pledged a robust framework to stimulate prosperity in the sector, instilling confidence in his commitment.
He said, “The livestock sector is critical, and we will give all it needs to bring value to our country. Stakeholders, I assure you that you will not regret the collaboration and investment in this sector.
“It is about time that we do it right. A country of over 200 million people and cannot serve our children one pint of milk in a classroom per day? That is not right.
“We didn’t see the investment opportunities. We didn’t see the economy of livestock in the past. Now that we have seen it, we must work together to restart the sector.’’
President Tinubu commended the Presidential Livestock Reform Implementation Committee, led by the Co-Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and the Secretary, Prof Muhammed Yahaya Kuta, for their commitment to repositioning the livestock sector.
Tinubu said the shared mission aims to transform the livestock sector from its current subsistence model into a thriving, commercialised industry, an industry that significantly contributes to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and provides decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods for our growing population.
According to him, “The potential is immense: With 563 million chickens, 58 million cattle, 124 million goats, 60 million sheep and 16 million pigs, Nigeria is the leading livestock producer in West Africa. Yet, despite this vast resource, we face stark realities. Our annual production of animal-source foods, like milk at 0.7 billion litres, meat at 1.48 million tonnes and eggs at 0.69 million metric tonnes, falls far short of our needs. Our per capita consumption levels—8.7 litres of milk, 9 kg of meat, 3.5kg or 45 eggs per year—are troublingly low compared to global averages. These are 44 litres of milk, 19 kg of meat and between 160 and 180 eggs per year.
“What is more worrisome to me is the average milk yield by cow breeds managed by our pastoralists: it is a mere 0.5 to 1.5 litres per day, compared to a global average of 6.6 litres per day. We can do much better!
“The long-term neglect of the livestock sector has weighed heavily on the country’s import bills, with milk and dairy products accounting for $1.2-1.5 billion.
“Yes, we can do it. We can bring prosperity to our people. We can feed our children. From grass, we can achieve grace. We can contribute so much to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provide decent jobs,’’ the President noted.
The President also thanked the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, chaired by the Governor of Kwara State, Abdurrahman Abdulrazaq, for supporting the reform of animal farming in the country and the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, for providing the vast land in his domain in Niger State, which will accommodate many investors.
Responding, the Chairman of NGF, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, assured the gathering of the “100 per cent buy-in of the sub-national to make the reform a success because it is not just food security, but national security.’’
Abdulrazaq thanked President Tinubu for leading the initiative by chairing the implementation committee, regretting that past efforts in the same direction were reduced to files in the Ministries of Agriculture in states and local government councils due to lack of political will. He said each state should create a segment for livestock farming and extend the value chain to meat and dairy production.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, thanked the President for his “bold action, exemplary leadership and unparalleled commitment to livestock reform.’’
Kyari assured the participants of working with the Ministry of Livestock Development to realise the President’s vision to diversify the economy and empower more Nigerians.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
