The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Muktar Maiha, has commended Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for his tremendous strides in the agricultural sector, especially in livestock development.
A statement signed by Bologi Ibrahim. Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Niger State said the minister stated this when he led a delegation from the ministry on a courtesy visit to the farmer governor at the Government House in Minna.
Idi Muktar said the farmer governor’s strides have put Niger State on the global map and acknowledged the state government for providing the enabling environment for farmers to thrive, especially in the livestock sector.
He reiterated the need to transform the modernized local livestock sector into a profitable, sustainable, globally competitive sector for national food security, job and wealth creation, rural development, and the promotion of peace and social harmony.
He highlighted three top priorities in the ministry, including feed and fodder, where the ministry is working in tandem with the state government to encourage resettlement into large-scale development centres and lands that will be freely given by states where they can choose the value chain to develop.
He said the second is the need to address breed improvement, adding that the Ministry plans to work with all stakeholders to bring in materials that can be used to improve dairy production from about two litres, to 40 litres because the government is presently spending $1.5 billion on the importation of dairy and dairy products.
The minister also advocated the need for the transportation of processed livestock instead of live cattle that have no security of supply.
He also urged state governments to get into Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreements to establish abattoirs, noting that the livestock sector has the greatest capacity for job creation.
He equally harped on the need to take advantage of the Sokoto-Badagry highway and find suitable locations along the corridor to jointly develop large-scale development centres for visibility, easy access, and easy evacuation of livestock products.
The executive governor of Niger State, farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago, in his response re-echoed the need for the federal government to reactivate the Lagos-Kano-Jibia rail gauge to fastrack the movement of cattle to the Southern region.
Farmer Umaru Bago, who stressed the challenges of hauling livestock from the north to the south, said the development will also reduce a lot of stress on roads, avoid wastage, and address the farmer/herder crisis.
He appreciated the minister and his team for the visit, as well as applauded him for his leadership style and his innovative idea in transforming the ministry.
The farmer governor also used the medium to commend the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) for the wonderful job they are doing in the state.
He said the project was instrumental in brokering a deal between Niger Foods and Abis Abbartoir in Abuja, where the state is to supply 200 cattle daily with 20,000 estimated direct and indirect jobs.
He also stressed the need to increase production in pastural and animal feed, saying the state government will work together with the ministry in that regard.
The farmer governor also commended President Bola Tinubu for his leadership role in mainstreaming livestock in Nigeria.
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The minister and his team had earlier inspected Zaima Farms, where he expressed satisfaction with the quality of the livestock farm and commended the farmer governor for his tremendous support for livestock development.
The farm is one of the beneficiaries othe L-PRES intervention with the establishment of a poultry production unit, which has the capacity to prepare 10,000 chickens per day.
