By Hadiza Suleman
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Wednesday, commended President Bola Tinubu for the move to establish a Ministry of Livestock Development.
Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, MACBAN’s president, said the move was in the right direction aimed at unlocking the potential of Nigeria’s ‘trillion-naira’ livestock economy.
Othman-Ngelzarma, in a release, said the new ministry would create jobs across the livestock value chain and boost the Nigerian economy.
The development fulfills the long-standing hope of Nigerian pastoralists under Tinubu’s “Renew Hope Agenda”, he said, adding that, “With this development, the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renew Hope Agenda.
“We as an association had for years been agitating tooth and nail to actulise the creation of a stand-alone ministry to modernise livestock production system in line with global best practices.”
Othman-Ngelzarma pledged MACBAN’s support to the federal government in transforming livestock production into a foreign exchange earner and reducing farmer-herder conflicts.
The creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development was announced by President Tinubu during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Livestock Reform Implementation Committee at the State House in Abuja. Tinubu, who chairs the committee, appointed Professor Attahiru Jega as deputy chairman.
The president identified opportunities in the livestock sector to include animal feed production and veterinary services. He expressed optimism that the new ministry would help develop the economy and provide opportunities for excellence while addressing conflicts between herders and farmers across the country.
