The Federal Government is intensifying efforts to address the ongoing farmer-herder crisis in the country, with President Bola Tinubu announcing plans to acquire land for ranches and livestock production.
Tinubu made this announcement during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja with members of the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and heads of security agencies.
During the meeting, President Tinubu received the report of the National Conference on Livestock Reforms, which recommended the establishment of a Ministry of Livestock to facilitate the implementation of their suggestions.
“I will be talking to all the governors. The Federal Government will be ready to apply to acquire land for ranches and livestock development,” said Tinubu during the meeting.
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According to the President, the persistent clashes between herders and farmers in the country are a result of leadership failure.
He stated, “It is not the fault of the herdsmen or farmers; it is our fault – the leadership – for not finding solutions in the past to solve our problem.” He expressed a commitment to changing the situation.
After the meeting, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, disclosed that the committee had recommended the establishment of the Ministry of Livestock and other related agencies.
Ganduje explained, “We recommended the establishment of the Ministry of Livestock and subsequent agencies so that various aspects of the recommendations will have appropriate institutions for implementation.”
This meeting took place several years after the National Economic Council (NEC) approved the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) in 2019.
The NLTP aimed to improve investment in the livestock sector and provide ranches as a long-term solution to the frequent conflicts between herders and farmers, particularly in Nigeria’s North-Central states.
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