Livestock Reforms: Open grazing, Ranching Can Coexist – Jega’s Committee Tells Tinubu

The Presidential Committee on Livestock Sector Reforms Implementation has submitted its inception report to President Bola Tinubu.

The committee submitted its report to the President at the State House Abuja on Thursday.

Speaking to journalists shortly after meeting with the president, the chairman of the committee and former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, said the committee was able to identify measures on how the Nigerian government can judiciously utilize the livestock industry in Nigeria.

He revealed that the 152 page document submitted to President Tinubu recommends measures that the government can use to mitigate the farmer/herders clashes across the country.

According to him, the committee’s position is that it would be counterproductive to immediately stop open grazing as a traditional method of pastoralism.

He noted that both ranching and open grazing can coexist in the short term until there is enough awareness and adequate infrastructure that will enhance the adoption of full ranching.

The committee has prescribed a ten-year plan that would guide the government to ensure remarkable improvement in all aspects of the livestock in Nigeria.

The committee also recommended the adoption of technologies in livestock production in Nigeria.

According to Prof. Jega, a detailed guidance on the operations of the newly created Federal Ministry of Livestock that was announced by President Tinubu recently has been given in the report.

The report of the committee is expected to be made public very soon with a view to getting more inputs from the public.

President Tinubu had in July inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which will benefit farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain.