By Chinyere Anyanwu [email protected]
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, has urged key stakeholders to work together in addressing the urgent challenges confronting Nigeria’s livestock sector, particularly the ongoing farmer-herder conflicts that have plagued several regions of the country.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day Focus Group Discussion on Sustainable Livestock Development organised by the Ministry yesterday, the minister noted the critical role collaboration between various actors in the sector played in achieving the desired changes.
Maiha stressed the importance of stakeholders working towards tangible, practical solutions that will benefit both the livestock industry and the nation as a whole.
Maiha, who stated that the participants were carefully selected based on practical field experiences in their various disciplines, explained that the essence of the meeting was to aggregate ideas from key stakeholders towards obtaining implementable actions that will benefit the livestock industry and Nigeria in general.
The minister stated that the establishment of the ministry by President Bola Tinubu was a direct response to the urgent need for reforms in the livestock sector, with a specific focus on resolving farmer-herder conflicts, stressing that Nigerians are demanding real changes, particularly in reducing the conflicts and ensuring a steady supply of affordable livestock products, such as beef, dairy, poultry and pork.
The minister stated that, “Nigerians are looking for change in the areas of reduction of farmer-herder conflict, increased supply of affordable beef, dairy products, poultry, chevon, mutton, pork and other livestock products.”
He note that with the ministry and the available human resources in Nigeria, the days of lamentation should be over, adding that stakeholders must come together and provide tangible results and cannot afford to fail.
Maiha stressed that all stakeholders, including the academia, donors, private sector actors and other government ministries, will be engaged in the ministry’s activities moving forward.
He added that they would link up with the academia, donors, other MDAs and the private sector, among others, assuring that all actors in the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the livestock chains will be consulted in the implementation of the ministry’s activities.
Maiha also highlighted the ministry’s commitment to transparency and results-driven actions, assuring the participants of government’s readiness to act swiftly on accepted recommendations and be open, transparent, consultative, and result-driven, as their doors are wide open for honest discussions with all.
The minister stated that the focus of the two-day meeting would be to discuss key themes, including Animal Health & Breeding, Livestock Entrepreneurship/Value Chains, Feed & Fodder-Grazing Reserves Development, and Cross-cutting Issues affecting the sector, and urged the stakeholders to engage constructively and offer actionable solutions to these critical challenges.
