Nigeria may not need a ministry of livestock devt-Akande

Nigeria may not need a ministry of livestock devt-Akande

The former aide to ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, has said Nigeria may not not need the recently established Ministry of Livestock Development

President Bola Tinubu had on Tuesday approved the establishment of the Livestock Development Ministry as part of measures to curb the perennial farmers-herders clashes.

But Laolu said though a lack of will and expertise are hindering the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NTLP), saying that the country may not need another ministry for livestock.

“I am not sure that we need a ministry [of livestock,” Laolu said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“Based on what is available to me now, I am not entirely certain that we would need a ministry to do this [curb farmers-herders clashes]. But let’s wait for more details,” he said.

He added that with some policies already in place

Nigeria has been locked in decades-long clashes between herders and farmers. The tussle over access to land, pasture, and water has exacerbated the crisis, leading to the loss of lives and properties

Previous governments and some state governments have introduced several measures including the NLTP and a ban on open grazing to address it.

But Laolu believes if the NLTP introduced by the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari is implemented, it will transform the livestock industry in Nigeria and end the clashes.

“The National Livestock Transformation Plan if it is effectively implemented is going to solve the problem of the farmer-herder clashes and is going to modernise the livestock industry in our country,” Laolu said.

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