President Bola Tinubu today has announced the creation of a new Ministry of Livestock Development as part of efforts towards resolving the lingering conflict between farmers and herdsmen across the country.
The President disclosed this during the inauguration of the Presidential Committee on Livestock Reforms at the Presidential Villa.
The Presidential Committee on Livestock Reforms is chaired by the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega and others.
The Committee is expected to propose recommendations aimed at fostering peaceful coexistence between herders and farmers while ensuring the security and economic well-being of all Nigerians.
Tinubu’s announcement of a ministry of livestock development comes 10 months after he approved the establishment of the presidential committee to address herders and farmers’ clashes and bolster the livestock and dairy industries.
He formed the committee after receiving a report from the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria.
Chaired by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, the committee presented the President with 21 recommendations, including the creation of a Ministry of Livestock Resources.
The President stated that the committee would collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to develop lasting solutions to the longstanding crisis between farmers and herders, ensuring the security and economic well-being of all Nigerians.
Farmer-Herder conflict in Nigeria
The conflict between herders and farmers in Nigeria over farmland and pasture is a serious and escalating issue, causing significant casualties and raising tensions, particularly in the country’s Middle Belt. Drought and desertification in the north have forced pastoralist herdsmen to seek grazing lands further south, leading to competition over resources and clashes with settled farmers.
These conflicts result in substantial loss of lives and livelihoods, undermine food security, enable the proliferation of small arms, displace large numbers of people, and divert resources intended for development. Vulnerable groups, such as women, children, youth, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and indigenous people, are particularly affected.
According to an AP report based on the latest data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, at least 2,600 deaths were recorded in 2021 in Nigeria’s north-central and northwest regions. This figure surpasses the number of civilian fatalities from Boko Haram insurgencies.
In 2019, the government of President Buhari approved the RUGA initiative promising it would bring about a significant reduction in the conflict between herders and farmers and was also expected to boost animal production.
However, despite these potential benefits, many Nigerians were unhappy with the move. It was met with widespread condemnation, with some Nigerians alleging that the initiative was a preconceived attempt to “Islamize” certain parts of the country. It was subsequently withdrawn by the Presidency.
