THE Federal Government has commenced the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) in some states that had declared interest.
Director, Animal Husbandry Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Winnie Tai Solarin, said the interventions proffered in the NLTP, a product of the national conference on the transformation of the Nigerian livestock industry in September 2017, is to ensure profitability.
Mrs Tai Solarin said in the NLTP, there is the national livestock breed improvement programme, to improve the breed and, consequently, improve the yield for dairy.
“The programme is to initially target dairy cows, the point is that the yield of our cow for dairy is so low and once we can improve the breed, it becomes very difficult for you to move them around, because you are looking at the increased milk they will give you,” she said.
The agriculture ministry official said along with the breed improvement programme is provision of milk collection centres, in a programme tagged National Dairy Development Programme, where the government is collaborating with private investors in the dairy industry.
She said the dairy development programme is already being implemented in Kano, Oyo and Niger states, adding that there are plans to extend it to other states.
Mrs Tai Solarin spoke on infrastructure and support services, adding that in the NLTP, the Federal Government is providing amenities in settlements for pastoralists, adding that along with infrastructure and support services is the development and rehabilitation of the grazing reserve currently being implemented in Gombe State, in collaboration with the Borno State.
“We are not stopping there, there are states that have also obtained funding from the Federal Government to also develop part of their grazing reserve and turn some into ranching,” she said.
Speaking on states’ participation in the NLTP, she said “all states in the country expressed interest in the livestock intervention programme. We wrote letters to states and visited them and they expressed interest in the programme.
“But it goes beyond just expressing interest. After that, we also requested for some information and data to help us and we followed up with NEEDS assessment and that’s where we have come up with these six states that we are commencing with, while the other states will come onboard as we go on,” she added.
The NLTP was launched in Gongoshi, in Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo over two years ago.
However, there still appears to be confusion about both concept and details of the programme among the states.
While the Federal Government believes that the programme is already up and running, according to a report from Mrs Tai Solarin, investigation by Nigerian Tribune across the states revealed that there is confusion, as states await direction from Abuja.
Nigerian Tribune can confirm that the programme seems to have taken off in Gombe State.
In Kaduna State, however, Nigerian Tribune discovered that the programme had yet to take off, though a similar intervention programme between the state government and Arlan Group is currently being pursued in Damau, Kubau Local Government Area of the state.
While waiting on Abuja, a desk officer has already been appointed to serve as a link between the state and the Federal Government.
The source revealed that officials from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture placed a call to the permanent secretary of the state agricultural ministry last week, expressing willingness of the Federal Government to start the programme in the state.
It was further learnt that the state government was ready to provide the land required.
In Bauchi State, Nigerian Tribune learnt that government was interested in the programme but nothing tangible has been done.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Saratu Musa Jibrin, disclosed that feasibility studies had been carried out on where the intervention may possibly take off.
Speaking on the NLTP, Technical Assistant on Agriculture to the Kwara State Governor, Abdulqawiyy Olododo, said the state government was eagerly waiting on the Federal Government to flag off the programme in the three locations mapped out for the scheme.
“The state has done its own part by submitting and defending the proposal already with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. So, the state government is only waiting for the Federal Government to do its part by flagging-off the programme in the state,” he said.
He also said the state government had earmarked three sites for the programme, namely Gidan Magajiya Gerin reserve, in Baruten Local Government Area, Kaiama cattle ranch in Kaiama Local Government and Lata grazing reserve in the Patigi Local Government Area of the state.
In Adamawa State where NLTP was inaugurated on September 10, 2019, the site remained desolate with no sign of any activity when the Nigerian Tribune visited last weekend.
Adamawa is one of the five pilot states for the implementation of the gazetted grazing reserves.
When contacted, chairman of the state’s NLTP, Professor Alikidon Voh, said the state had concluded all prerequisites for a full take-off of the programme.
“We have done the first line survey, both manually and electronically, we have also done the categorisation of the grazing reserve.
“We know how many herders and how many farmers the grazing reserve can accommodate,” he said.
In Minna, Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, assured investors at the Bobi Grazing Reserve of adequate security in spite of the criminal activities of bandits in parts of the state.
The governor added that he remained committed to the completion of the 30,000 hectares modern grazing reserve before the end of his administration in 2023.
The governor, who led the members of the state executive council on an inspection tour of the reserve, pointed out that it cuts across the two local government areas of Mariga and Mashehu, adding that when completed, it will permanently solve farmers/herders clashes in the state.
The governor expressed optimism that the reserve will increase the internally generated revenue (IGR), highlighting that it will also create job opportunities for the locals.
Leader of the Fulani in the Bobi Grazing Reserve, Malam Ardo Abubakar said that the project would empower 9,000 people and has the ability to generate N9 billion yearly.
In Gombe and Niger states, work was ongoing at the designated reserves for the take-off of the NLTP.
In Gombe State, upgrade work on the abandoned Wawa/Zenge grazing reserve spread across 144,000 hectares of land spanning four local government areasof Dukku, Funakaye, Kwami and Nafada has commenced and, on completion, it will accommodate more than two million heads of cattle at a time.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Muhammad Magaji Gettado, speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, assured of the determination of the state government to transform the Wawa-Zange Zange grazing reserve as a way of keying into the vision of the NLTP of the Federal Government.
He said when eventually completed, the grazing reserve will house six hospitals, six veterinary clinics, four milk collection centres, 16 solar boreholes and a modern abattoir to add up to the existing schools for nomadic education, as well as two access roads with a combine 65 kilometers within the reserve for ease of mobility.
Already, 25 rangers have been employed working throughout the reserves, making it well secure.
The Emir of Dukku, whose emirate is site to the entrance to the reserves, Alhaji Haruna Abdulkadir Rashid, commended the governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, for reviving the abandoned project, saying it will solve the problem of herder/farmers clashes in the state.
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