President Bola Tinubu last week moved further in his intention to reform the livestock agriculture sector by appointing a substantive Minister for Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar. Tinubu is already the Chairman of the livestock reform committee with Professor Attahiru Jega as his Co-Chairman.

At a two-day consultative workshop at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja last Thursday, Tinubu harped on the need to reverse the huge livestock product import bills, create employment and attract foreign direct investment. His objective, he affirmed, is to transform the sector from its current subsistence level to a commercial and industrial one to enable it contribute to the gross domestic product.

Nigeria produces livestock products far below our national needs, and has to spend up to $1.5bn on dairy imports alone, despite possessing the potential capacity to dominate in the West Africa region. Tinubu said his government is determined to address the low yields in the cow breeds handled by the nomadic herdsmen, and called on state governors to partner with him.

Apart from creating a separate ministry and appointing a Minister for livestock, which critics consider unnecessary, Tinubu has not done anything new so far in addressing this highly-vexed sector.

Livestock farming as practised by nomadic pastoralists is a major source of insecurity in the country. Armed herdsmen have been terrorising Nigerians all over the country, especially Benue, Plateau and Taraba states, as well as Southern Kaduna.

They believe they can conquer indigenous communities and settle on their lands, and they have been killing and kidnapping for ransom almost unchallenged, even by the Federal Government. Curiously, none of the participants bothered to mention how the touted reforms will address insecurity.

Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, of Kwara State, readily pledged the eager buy-in of the Governors apparently without consulting his colleagues.

We strongly advise the president to meet with the 36 Governors, not just their ceremonial chairman. He should unfold the full package of his livestock reform to enable them see how it will benefit their states and people. This will encourage them to come on board or not.

We caution that any livestock reform that includes open grazing will run afoul of the laws of many states. Any reform that entails forceful seizure of people?s ancestral patrimonies for the settlement of alien and often violent herdsmen will fail as it did in the past when former President Muhammadu Buhari tried to enforce livestock reforms.

We reiterate that livestock agriculture is not an ethnic profession, and for any reform to work, it must be inclusive and attractive for any interested investor to key into. Tinubu?s reform is following the ethnic appeasement faux pas that sparked widespread resistance in the past. That?s not acceptable.

We want crisis-free livestock reforms that will benefit all Nigerians. (Vanguard Editorial)

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