By Godswill Michael
Pastoralist organisations across Nigeria have commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, describing the move as the fulfilment of a decades-long demand for dedicated attention to the sector.
The groups also pledged their continued support for the administration’s livestock reforms, expressing optimism that the ministry would improve pastoralist livelihoods, strengthen the livestock value chain and promote peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders.
They made the pledge on Saturday at a One-Day Grand National Thank You Rally organised by a coalition of pastoralist organisations. The event attracted representatives of state governments, livestock farmers, ranchers, processors, marketers and commodity associations.
Speaking at the rally, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, described the establishment of the ministry in July 2024 as a historic milestone, marking the end of decades of advocacy by livestock stakeholders for a dedicated federal institution.
Maiha urged pastoralist groups and other stakeholders to take ownership of the ministry and collaborate with the government to advance the sector.
“Livestock farmers, pastoralists, ranchers, dairy farmers, livestock traders, dealers, transporters, butchers, processors and marketers, this is your own ministry. Take it, own it and use it to improve your livelihood, build peace, harmony and shared prosperity,” he said.
The minister highlighted ongoing government interventions in veterinary infrastructure, animal disease control, pasture and fodder development, livestock breeding, dairy production and investment promotion.
He disclosed that the government had completed seven modern veterinary hospitals, while 14 others were at various stages of development.
Maiha urged livestock associations to work with the ministry and state governments to identify challenges affecting their members and develop practical proposals to improve service delivery.
He also called for stronger cooperation among stakeholders to prevent farmer-herder conflicts through dialogue, responsible management of land and water resources, and peaceful resolution of disputes.
The Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Murtala Mohammed Dabo, also commended Tinubu for establishing the ministry and praised Maiha’s efforts to implement the administration’s livestock reforms.
Sani highlighted the state’s interventions in the sector, including the provision of solar-powered water facilities for pastoralist communities, livestock vaccination, artificial insemination, pasture development and improvements to abattoirs.
“Mr. President has told us, livestock is not conflict, livestock is wealth. Pastoralists are not a problem; pastoralists are partners,” he said.
The governor expressed appreciation to Tinubu for giving the livestock sector dedicated attention, describing the establishment of the ministry as evidence of the administration’s commitment to its development.
He also declared support for the president ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Mr. President, we deeply appreciate your gesture in creating the Ministry of Livestock and this is a demonstration that come 2027, by the grace of God, it will just be a knockout,” Sani said.
The National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Baba Othman Ngelzarma, described the creation of the ministry as the fulfilment of a longstanding demand by pastoralist communities.
Ngelzarma said decades of neglect had contributed to persistent tensions between farmers and herders, as well as security challenges, including cattle rustling, kidnapping and banditry, which had affected both communities.
He said the ministry’s establishment provided an opportunity to address some of the underlying challenges through peacebuilding and improved engagement among stakeholders.
“The Ministry was created specifically to address the issue of peacebuilding, and that is what the Minister is doing. Peacebuilding is our concern. It is not only the concern of the farmers; it is also our concern,” he said.
Similarly, the National President of the Miyetti Allah Pulaku Yeso Yeso Development Association (MAFYDA), Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman, commended Maiha for his commitment to developing the livestock sector and urged stakeholders to sustain their support for the administration.
The President of the Federation of Agricultural and Commodity Associations of Nigeria, Sherif Balogun, who said he represented more than 65 commodity associations, also endorsed the government’s reforms.
Balogun cited improvements in productivity and emerging business opportunities for agricultural exporters and processors as some of the gains from efforts to reposition the sector.
Other pastoralist representatives at the rally described the establishment of the ministry as the fulfilment of a longstanding aspiration, urging the government to sustain efforts to protect livestock assets, improve pastoralist livelihoods and expand economic opportunities across the value chain.
At the end of the rally, the coalition presented Tinubu with a traditional Fulani hat as a symbolic gesture of appreciation for establishing the ministry and giving livestock development dedicated attention in national policymaking. Maiha received the gift on behalf of the president.