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Stakeholders in the agribusiness sector, such as the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria, have called on the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development to prioritize addressing food insecurity.
President Bola Tinubu approved the creation of the Livestock Development Ministry on July 9, 2024, during the inauguration of the Presidential Committee on Livestock Reforms at the State House, Abuja.
Kola Aderibigbe, the Chairman of the Agro-allied group, LCCI, stated that while the creation of the ministry was a positive step, farmers are eager to see a comprehensive plan on how the ministry would tackle food insecurity in the country.
Aderibigbe emphasized the need for the ministry to provide a platform for farmers to return to their farms and resume food production, particularly in the light of ongoing security challenges.
Furthermore, he expressed concerns about the potential increased costs and complexities associated with dealing with both the LDM and the Ministry of Agriculture for integrated farmers who combine crop farming with livestock.
Aderibigbe also highlighted the importance of the LDM addressing the farmer-herders conflicts that had hindered agricultural activities, expressing disappointment in the lack of progress on implementing ranching as a solution to open-grazing
