What You Need to Know About the New Federal Ministry of Livestock Development

Credit: Bola Ahmed Tinubu/Instagram

Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has announced the creation of a new ministry, the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development. The announcement was made today, Tuesday, July 9th, during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope livestock reforms implementation committee at the State House in Abuja.

The new ministry is expected to drive the livestock sector with other agriculture projects under the food sustainability programme.

Last September, the president established a committee to address clashes between herders and farmers and to bolster the livestock and dairy industries. This followed recommendations from the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria. The primary responsibility of the committee was to provide sector-specific solutions to the long-standing farmers-herders crisis.

The committee presented the president with 21 recommendations, including the creation of a ministry of livestock resources, along with other measures, to help resolve the decades-long conflict between farmers and nomadic cattle herders in the country.

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According to the president, the minister for the new ministry will be announced soon. It is expected that he will forward the name to the Senate for screening and confirmation if it is a new nominee.