Attahiru Jega | File Image
By Valentine Amanze
President Bola Tinubu has appointed former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, as Co-Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms.
Tinubu announced the appointment at the inauguration of the committee in Abuja on Tuesday.
The committee is expected to address the obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain.
In a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s media aide, in his X handle,
@aonanuga1956, on Tuesday, Tinubu, who is the alternative chairman of the committee, disclosed that the implementation of the reforms would require the collective efforts of members, drawn from the public and private sectors, state governors, and all Nigerians.
The president, however, thanked the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, for his efforts in assembling experienced and experts to ensure the activation of opportunities in the livestock sector, stating that a Ministry of Livestock Development will be created to further explore the potential in the area.
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His words: “When we have great opportunities in our states, why should Nigerians continue to experience conflicts?
“With the calibre of people that are here, this presents a unique opportunity to also delineate and establish a centric ministry called the Ministry of Livestock Development. It will give us the opportunity so that our veterinary doctors can have the necessary access to research and cross-breed. We can stop the wanton killings.’’
The President also assured that the traditional method of livestock farming would be reviewed and repositioned with the support of stakeholders, which include state governments, to open up new opportunities for growth and prosperity.
Tinubu said the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), would ensure the removal of all legal obstacles to the implementation of the reforms, while the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, would provide support with automation.
