Tinubu directs livestock ministry to enforce ranching policy, says minister

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Ministry of Livestock Development to strengthen the implementation of Nigeria’s livestock policy, including ranching, and ensure that stakeholders across the sector participate in the programme.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing State House correspondents after meeting with the President.

Mukhtar said the President had expressed strong support for efforts to reform the livestock sector and to ensure that stakeholders benefit from the livestock value chain.

He quoted Tinubu as saying, “The value chain in the livestock sector is fantastic, and everybody should line up to partake in that value chain.”

The minister said the ministry had made progress in several areas, including dairy production, fodder cultivation, veterinary infrastructure and vaccine storage.

According to him, the ministry is developing fodder for local consumption and export, while seven model veterinary clinics are being built alongside off-grid cold-chain facilities for vaccine storage.

Mukhtar also disclosed plans to stabilise the poultry industry through the large-scale importation of hatchable eggs.

He said the initiative would reduce the waiting period for local poultry producers seeking chicks, which he said could currently extend to about a month after payment.

On the persistent clashes between farmers and herders, the minister said the government had identified 1,417 grazing reserves across the country for possible rehabilitation.

He said the ministry had initially identified Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Adamawa, and the Federal Capital Territory for intervention due to the high incidence of farmer-herder conflicts in these areas.