Pastoralists under the umbrella of the Miyetti Allah Fulako Yeso Yeso Development Association (MAFYDA) have pledged support for President Bola Tinubu’s livestock transformation agenda and the proposed national ranching policy as the Federal Government moves to modernise Nigeria’s livestock sector.
The commitment was made during an interactive engagement between the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and members of the association held on Thursday in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of President Tinubu at the meeting, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha said the delegation’s visit reflected growing confidence in the Federal Government’s livestock reform agenda.
“They have shown their willingness and commitment to align with Mr. President’s vision in changing and transforming the livestock sector from its present subsistence animal husbandry system to a modern ranching system,” the minister said.
Maiha stated that the Federal Government remained committed to rehabilitating grazing reserves, promoting pasture cultivation, strengthening animal health management systems, and supporting pastoralists with modern livestock production techniques aimed at improving productivity and reducing conflicts linked to open grazing.
The minister also disclosed that the ministry would launch a pilot artificial insemination programme targeting between 1,000 and 3,000 animals nationwide as part of efforts to improve local breeds and establish a sustainable livestock genetic improvement framework.
“We are actually going to start this year with insemination of about 1,000 to 3,000 animals across the country. This is just the first pilot to test run the adaptability and the proof of concept of this animal upgrade,” he said.
According to him, the ministry also plans to distribute pasture seeds to pastoralists to encourage fodder cultivation and reduce the movement of cattle in search of grazing land.
“We are going to procure seeds this year and distribute them to the pastoralists to start planting pasture so that by next year dry season, very few animals will now be seen roaming the countryside in search of fodder,” Maiha added.
In her welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, said the engagement would provide pastoralists the opportunity to directly interact with government on issues affecting their livelihoods.
Akujobi commended the association for its commitment to peacebuilding, describing it as one of the ministry’s major priorities.
Also speaking, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Samuel Anzaku, said the ministry had resumed annual livestock vaccination exercises against diseases including Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), anthrax, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
“We’re going to do this as a yearly exercise so that our pastoralists who are right in the bush will feel the impact because we believe the animals are not in the town, they are in the bush,” Anzaku said.
The President of the association, Abubakar Suleiman, praised President Tinubu for creating the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, describing it as a landmark achievement for pastoral communities across the country.
Suleiman said the association was seeking strategic collaboration with the ministry on the implementation of national pastoral transformation programmes focused on livestock modernisation, ranch development, sustainable grazing systems, livestock value chain expansion, climate-resilient pastoral practices, and youth employment within the livestock sector.
