Agriculture

‘Over 4 million Nigerians will be jobless if govt bans donkey trading, insecurity may worsen’

Published by

DONKEY Dealers Association of Nigeria has called on the government to rescind plans to ban the killing of donkeys for commercial activities, which they said will lead to about 4 million Nigerians losing their jobs and may worsen security situation in the country.

The Association suggested that the government should regulate the donkey business which they said would be a source of revenue generation for the government as more jobs would be created.

The President of the Association, Mr Dike Ifeanyi, revealed this while speaking with journalists after a public hearing of a bill at the National Assembly which seeks to ban the killing of donkeys because of the fear of the animal going into extinction.

Ifeanyi said the Association had gone into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) on the genetic improvement of donkeys in order to curb the animal from going into extinction.

He said instead of the government to risk putting over four million persons out of business by banning the trading and killing of donkeys, it should make regulations that will preserve the animal and also allow the dealers to do business with the animal.

“Today was a public hearing of the bill that was being proposed for the ban on the killing of donkeys in Nigeria, and we the Donkey Dealers Association, who are the real investors in the donkey industry is calling upon the Federal Government today that we are saying no to blanket ban on donkey killing, we are supporting a regulatory framework that will assist us in ranching and breeding of donkey.

“We are telling the federal government donkey is a domestic animal and we can rear it. We have signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Animal Production Research Institute, Zaria on donkey breeding.

“All these efforts by our members are for them to make sure that the depleting population of donkeys is restored and we cannot afford to lose more than three million people who are earning their source of livelihood from donkeys.

“This donkey business has been in existence for more than a century, and people have really invested in it. Our mission today is to tell the federal government that they have to take a second look at bills, instead of banning, that they should copy from other countries like Pakistan who are into donkey farming and the first in the world to build a donkey clinic, we can do better in this way in Nigeria.

“We are also considering the security implications of this blanket ban, Nigeria is volatile now, it may worsen considering the number of people that will lose their jobs.

“We are calling upon the Minister of Agricultue and stakeholders that they should support the regulation of donkey business in Nigeria for us to have the economic gains.

“Our members are abreast of the situation, they have been informed and all of us are ready for regulation, we are not ready for banning. Our members are not encouraging smugglers, our members are known, and their places of business are known.

“We have more than 150,00 members, about 450,000 persons are directly engaged in this donkey business and about 3 million indirectly engaged,” he noted.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE  

Top 10 Business Ideas In Nigeria You Can Start With 100,000 Naira

In a country where economic deficit and unemployment have become the order of the day, conceptualizing a business idea in Nigeria and subsequently starting it can be likened to a goldmine which offers an opportunity for people to tap into a better livelihood.

After Two Years, Daddy Freeze Apologises To Bishop Oyedepo
Daddy Freeze whose real name is Ifedayo Olarinde has apologised to Bishop Oyedepo who is the presiding bishop and founder of Living Faith Church aka Winners Chapel…

 

Recent Posts

I nearly gave up my PhD due to lecturers’ pressure — Patience Jonathan

"'Shey this man don't know that I'm old. Very soon, I will leave this place…

1 hour ago

Ground rent: Serious diplomatic problems await Nigeria if Wike seals foreign embassies — Falana

He warned that sealing diplomatic premises over unpaid rents would breach international law. “If we…

2 hours ago

Why you can’t compare Nigeria’s situation under Buhari to Tinubu — Fayose

“No one is saying it’s easy, but there’s no miracle that can turn around things…

2 hours ago

Suspected IED kills six in Sokoto village amid rising terrorist threat

Local sources alleged that the deadly device may have been planted by the notorious Lakurawa…

2 hours ago

US immigration protests: 700 Marines deployed to Los Angeles

Unrest in Los Angeles intensified over the weekend as protesters clashed with law enforcement officers…

2 hours ago

Delta Central APC adopts Tinubu, Oborevwori for 2027

IN a resounding display of unity, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta Central Senatorial…

3 hours ago

Welcome

Install

This website uses cookies.