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Jega unveils Tinubu’s livestock reform policy at Blueprint confab, awards

 

By Abbas Nazil

Professor Attahiru Jega, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Coordinator of Livestock Reforms, presented a bold roadmap to modernize Nigeria’s livestock sector at a high-level event organized by Blueprint Newspaper in Abuja on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Professor Jega declared that President Tinubu’s Livestock Reforms Initiative aims to transform the livestock sector into a climate-smart, conflict-resilient, and economically competitive industry.

He described the initiative as a necessary shift to address deep-rooted structural inefficiencies and unlock the sector’s vast economic and social potential.

The livestock sector, contributing between 7 to 9 percent of agricultural GDP and supporting over 20 million Nigerians, is seen as central to rural livelihoods, national food security, and trade.

But Jega stressed that the sector is plagued by outdated production systems, fragmented value chains, weak veterinary services, and decades of underinvestment.

Violent farmer-herder conflicts, driven by dwindling natural resources, climate change, and land governance failures, continue to threaten peace and economic progress.

He emphasized that reform is both an economic necessity and a peace-building imperative.

Projections indicate that by 2050, Nigeria’s population will approach 400 million, necessitating a 577% increase in milk, 253% in poultry, and 117% in beef production.

Failure to invest now, Jega warned, will lead to severe protein shortages and further rural impoverishment.

The blueprint, coordinated by the Presidential Livestock Reform Implementation Committee (PLRIC), is anchored on four strategic pillars: Emergency Support and Conflict Resolution, Private Sector-led Modernization, Data and Infrastructure Development, and Genetic and Value Chain Enhancement.

Jega outlined key interventions such as transitioning from open grazing to structured ranching, promoting public-private partnerships, investing in animal genetics, and building regional livestock innovation hubs.

He highlighted that while poultry production is making strides toward commercialization, most cattle remain in low-yielding pastoral systems, with only 1% in commercial production.

To combat insecurity and low productivity, the blueprint calls for improved veterinary services, better breeding stock, and an end to overreliance on dairy imports, which cost Nigeria over \$1.5 billion annually.

The event attracted key stakeholders in agriculture, government, academia, and media, signaling broad-based support for the initiative.

Jega reiterated that the plan is not merely aspirational but grounded in data, inclusivity, and realism.

He urged for sustained policy consistency, increased public-private investment, and stakeholder engagement to drive full implementation.

He concluded by affirming that with joint effort, Nigeria can turn the current livestock challenges into lasting economic and social opportunities, as envisioned by President Tinubu.

The reforms, he noted, are designed to catalyze rural transformation, reduce conflict, ensure food security, and position Nigeria as a regional leader in livestock exports.

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