Provost of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAH&PT), Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr. Adekoya Olatunde Owosibo has described the creation of Ministry of Livestock Development by President Bola Tinubu as a welcomed development, assuring the institution’s readiness to support the ministry.
Yesterday, CEOAFRICA reported the announcement of the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in a move expected to end the perennial clashes between pastoralists and farmers. The President also inaugurated the Renewed Hope livestock reform implementation committee at the State House, Abuja, to provide sector-focused solutions to address the age-long farmers-herders crisis.
Reacting to the development in statement obtained by CEOAFRICA, Owosibo said the commitment of the Federal Government towards agriculture and livestock development is visible, expressing hopes that the development will indeed stop the farmers-herders clashes causing retrogression for the economic viability and sustainability of farming and agricultural livestock production.
He believes the development will also help to maintain the quality and safety of perishable goods from farm to market, thereby reducing food waste and ensuring a stable supply.
Owosibo urged the President to look into full and quick implementation of the other recommendations submitted by National Livestock Reforms Committee, especially in areas of ensuring funding source including inflows from international organisations, private sector, and the government.
The college Provost stressed the need for intervention on funds to help the institute achieve its major objectives effectively, stating that through the financial intervention of the government “we will be able to change our moribund equipment and our lecturers will be able to enjoy some facilities for training.”
Owosibo prided that FCAH&PT Ibadan is on top of its game to not only produce quality graduates who will contribute their quota in the agricultural and livestock industry, but also making use of its facilities to train and ensure availability of livestock in the society.
He related that the institution is committed to its vision and mission to be “a world-class training institution in areas of Science and Modern Agricultural Development Technology in a changing environment; and to contribute to the development of Nigeria through training of qualitative manpower by adequate exposure to sound theoretical background, practical, farm and field demonstrations as well as knowledge capacity development for staff.”
With the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, President Tinubu said Nigeria can now look forward to “maintaining the quality and safety of these perishable goods from farm to market thereby reducing food waste and ensuring a stable supply”.
Following the approval, he said the Federal Government is fully prepared to cover the cost of acquiring lands to ensure the peaceful co-existence of pastoralists and farmers. While President Tinubu will chair the committee on livestock reforms, a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, is the deputy chairman.
Tinubu’s announcement comes 10 months after he approved the establishment of the presidential committee to address herders and farmers’ clashes and bolster livestock and dairy industries. He set up the committee, chaired by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, after receiving a report from the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria.
In the past, previous governments have reeled out a raft of measures including the highly controversial Rural Grazing Area (RUGA). However, such moves have failed to address the perennial conflicts between the farmers and pastoralists. The dispute has claimed hundreds of lives with the recent being in Plateau State where dozens were killed last December.
