Nigeria has a vast agricultural sector, which includes livestock farming, poultry farming and aquaculture. However, despite this, there are challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, insufficient investment, and issues related to climate change that affect the production capacity.
Livestock farming, a significant part of Nigeria’s agricultural sector, is now receiving a boost through the creation of a dedicated ministry that will help streamline efforts to improve production and enhance the country’s overall agricultural output, contribute to protein food security and economic growth.
This creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development by the government can indeed be seen as a welcome development in view of the need to improve protein sufficiency through increase in production and making protein-rich foods more accessible and affordable to the population.
The country, with our large and ever growing population, faces significant challenges in meeting its domestic protein requirements. The demand for protein in Nigeria is influenced by several factors including population growth, urbanization, income levels, and dietary preferences. These are not being met by our rudimentary and conservative system of production that has not been adequately catered for.
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The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development in Nigeria is thus a welcome development that could lead to significant improvements in the agricultural sector; contribute to economic growth; enhance food security; and promote sustainable and equitable development.
This ministry is expected to play and have the potential of addressing the farmer/pastoralist conflicts, as there will be concentrated strategic approaches that could help mitigate long-standing tensions in several ways and roles in resolving these conflicts.
The new ministry will be the government’s channel of addressing numerous challenges of livestock production that were subsumed by the crop sector of its former parent ministry. To justify its creation, Nigerians will be expecting the ministry to:
Create jobs as the livestock sector has the potential to create numerous jobs: from farming and animal husbandry to processing and distribution. The focused ministry should help in training and supporting new entrants into this sector.
The ministry will help increase the production of meat, dairy and other animal products, and contribute to national food security through improved livestock farming techniques, disease control, and breeding practices. Similarly, encouraging livestock development will diversify Nigeria’s agricultural output, reduce reliance on a few staple crops and make the food system more resilient.
This ministry will be an advocate for better infrastructure in rural areas where livestock farming is predominant to improved roads, water supply and veterinary services thereby enhancing rural development.
It is expected to create opportunities to provide resources, training and financial support to livestock farmers to improve their livelihoods and stimulate rural economies through livestock farmers support programmes.
As a dedicated ministry, it should be in a better position to coordinate efforts to control and prevent livestock diseases that are crucial for both animal and human health through improved livestock management practices and vet-care, this will enhance quality and safety of animal products for the benefit of consumers.
The ministry will serve as an avenue to promote sustainable livestock farming practices that will protect the environment through better waste management, pasture management, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
It will be the medium for instituting policies and regulations that will allow for the creation of coherent and comprehensive policies tailored specifically to the needs of the livestock sector. This will ensure better regulation and oversight of the livestock industry, including animal welfare, food safety standards, and trade practices.
The livestock sector will now be open to intensified research and development and will be exposed to higher opportunities for investment in research and development to improve breeds, feeds, and farming techniques that will lead to greater productivity and efficiency.
With very scanty data on livestock production in the past, this ministry will be an opportunity for real time data collection and analysis that will help in making informed decisions and tracking the progress of initiatives aimed at developing the livestock sector.
The new ministry should be able to engage requisite staff to clearly demarcate and legally recognize grazing routes and reserves, and to help prevent encroachment and disputes over land use. With the ministry’s expertise, implementing effective land use planning to designate areas for farming and grazing will certainly reduce competition for resources and improve land management.
The ministry will be an avenue to provide expert guide towards management of resource by developing watering points and ensuring access to water for both farmers and pastoralists to reduce competition and conflicts over scarce water resources; invest in pasture development and management to ensure that pastoralists have adequate grazing land, and reduce encroachment on farmlands.
The ministry will be in a vantage position to promote sustainable practices by encouraging pastoralists to adopt sustainable grazing practices, such as rotational grazing, that will help preserve the land and reduce conflicts over depleted resources.
And to reduce pressure on the land, the ministry should provide alternative income source for communities reliant on grazing. This may include promoting activities like beekeeping, agro-processing and crafts, etc.
The ministry should engineer agroforestry for crop-livestock production that will promote integrated farming systems where livestock and crop farming will coexist to increase productivity and reduce competition for land.
The ministry should act as a neutral body to facilitate discussions between farmers and pastoralists, help build trust and understanding to stamp out the various conflicts that have bedevilled and retarded the livestock industry. This will entail the establishment of conflict resolution mechanisms and local committees that will include representatives from all communities to provide a platform for addressing grievances and finding mutually acceptable solutions. This will be successful through the activation of regular awareness campaigns to promote peaceful coexistence and the benefits of collaboration. These can be through media, jingles, drama, community meetings and mobilisation.
My excitement in welcoming the new Ministry of Livestock Development took me into a dream of citizens’ engaging in massive livestock production, boiling fresh milk to infuse their teabags, brewing raw coffee in fresh milk, enjoying affordable dinner of steak, roasted rib cage with lamb chops and excellent breakfast from varieties of egg dishes.
Ahmad resides at FMA 2, off Yaya (Petal) Abubakar Road, Fadamar Mada, Bauchi
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