President Bola Tinubu announced the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development on Tuesday.

The president made the declaration during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Livestock Reform Implementation Committee at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja.

Mr Tinubu, the chairman of the committee, announced Attahiru Jega as the deputy or co-chair of the committee.

“When you have a great opportunity like this, why should Nigeria continue in conflict with the calibre of the people here?

“This presents a unique opportunity to delineate and establish a separate ministry called the Ministry of Livestock Development. We will develop the economy and give people the opportunity to excel.

“Our vet doctors can give us the necessary opportunity to rear, crossbreed and stop the wanton killings; even animal feeds is a huge economy,” Mr Tinubu said.

Present at the inauguration were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, the president’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, among others

Reacting, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has commended President Bola Tinubu for creating the Ministry of Livestock Development.

The association’s president, Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the creation of the ministry would unlock the trillion naira livestock economy.

He also said the ministry would create qualitative and productive jobs across the livestock value chain to improve the Nigerian economy.

“With this development, MACBAN believes, the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renew Hope Agenda.

“The promise made by President Tinubu to raise the productive capacity of Nigerian agriculture to ensure food security is being fulfilled.

“We as an association had for years been agitating tooth and nail to actualise the creation of a stand-alone ministry to modernise livestock production system in line with global best practices,” he said.

Mr Othman-Ngelzarma pledged support to the federal government in turning livestock production into a foreign exchange earner and reducing farmer/ herder conflicts and related security challenges.

(NAN)