By Sam Otuonye

Experts will this week in Abuja gather to proffer lasting solutions to the lingering issue of transportation of Livestock across the country.

Leading the pack will be the Honourable Minister of Transportation Senator Said Ahmed Alkali and that of Agriculture and Rural Development Sen, Abubakar Kyari, CON, who are among the dignitaries expected to speak at a 2-Day national conference on Livestock Transportation in Nigeria organized by the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology ( NITT) Zaria holding at Gudu Abuja on Wednesday and Thursday this week

With the theme: “DEVELOPING A POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR TRANSPORTATION OF LIVESTOCK IN NIGERIA” the conference according to the NITT Director-General/Chief Executive Officer Dr. Bayero Salih-Farah, FCILT, became necessary in view of the urgent need to develop a policy covering regulations and guidelines on livestock transportation in Nigeria which he said is long overdue.

His words “Nigeria, with a population of over 200 million people, needs to have a safe, standardized, efficient, hygienic, sustainable, and humane animal transportation system that would contribute to the attainment of the laudable livestock and agricultural objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal

“Transportation of livestock is the intentional movement of livestock by road, rail, ship/boat/canoe, or by air. And such means of transportation should provide for safe, humane and expeditious transportation of the livestock so as to prevent accidents, delays during transit and physical injuries.

“However, livestock transportation in Nigeria is beset with a myriad of problems, such as the absence of a national policy document that would encapsulate a vision and mission for the sector, lack of regulation and guidelines, poor sanitation, poor coordination, poor standard/quality of service, poor safety levels, system inefficiency, and inadequate infrastructure, among others.

“As a result of this, livestock are transported from one part of the country to another on a daily basis and in all manner of vehicles, many times in a cruel or inhumane way and without due consideration for animal welfare issues and transportation standards for diverse animal species’ the DG stated.

It will be recalled that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had in 2022 inaugurated a National Committee on Animal Welfare. The action placed an obligation on the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), a leading training, research, and development Institute in the transport and logistics industry in Nigeria and the West African sub-region, to develop standard guidelines and regulations on Livestock transportation in the country in line with international best practices.

In statement issued by Dr. Baba Ibrahim Mundi, NITT Director of Transport Research and Intelligence and Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee, the conference would serve as an avenue for stakeholders to come up with a policy framework covering regulations and guidelines for the safe, humane, hygienic, and sustainable livestock transportation in Nigeria with the following objectives

 Vehicular movement of livestock (the types of vehicles to be used for

livestock transport, and body specifications), handling of Livestock, proper restraint procedures for the diverse livestock species when on transit, procedures for livestock loading and offloading, responsibilities of drivers, their assistants and owners when transporting the livestock. Participants will also deliberate on distance journey break as well as the appropriate duration for transport of livestock based on differences in ambient temperatures of different geographical location in the country

The statement explained that the Honourable Minister of Transportation Sen. Said Ahmed Alkali will declare the conference opened while his counterpart in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Sen. Abubakar Kyari, CON is the special guest of honour

Other Speakers include the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, Chairman National Livestock Reform Committee, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Chairman Senate Committee on Land Transport H.E. Senator Adamu Aliero, Chairman, House Committee on Land Transport, Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture and Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture.

Furthermore, the conference is expected to attract Policy Makers from Federal Executive Council, Leadership of the National Assembly, Federal Ministries of Transportation, Agriculture, Aviation, Information, National Council on Transportation, all state Directors of Veterinary Services, National Committee on Animal Welfare, Butchers Association of Nigeria, Diary and Dairy Products Association, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms, National Veterinary Research Institute, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, NAFDAC, NRC, FRSC, ASAN, SON, NVMA, NIAS, VCN, NVRI, CVON, NAPRI, RTEAN, NATO, VIO, NA, NSCDC, CIOTA, CILT and other stakeholders from the public and private sectors.

By Aaior K. Comfort

In a strategic effort to tackle soaring food prices, the Federal Government (FG) is launching an initiative to distribute high-yield seedlings for dry season cropping. This initiative was announced following a high-level meeting led by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, along with officials from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and Flour Mills of Nigeria.

According to a statement from Mr. Mohammed Manga, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Finance, the initiative aims to “revolutionize Nigeria’s agricultural sector” in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The meeting focused on accelerating the implementation of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme – Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP).

*Key Focus Areas*

During the discussions, the critical need for an efficient input system for the dry season was emphasized, particularly the importance of high-quality and adaptable seeds to achieve optimal yields. The NAGS-AP team provided updates on their implementation strategies and presented a finalized work plan for the 2024/2025 dry season.

The NAGS-AP initiative is designed to boost productivity and yield among farmers, significantly impacting food production and agricultural growth nationwide.

This meeting marks a significant step toward ensuring food security and driving economic growth, reflecting the policy priorities of the current administration.

By Helen Ochie

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Mr Joseph Utsev, says food sufficiency in Nigeria remains a priority of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Utsev said this on Wednesday while on an assessment tour of the solarisation of the Centre Pivot Irrigation Unit of the Middle Ogun Irrigation Project, Iseyin, Oyo State.

According to the minister, the mandate of food production, creating jobs and enhancing the country’s economy is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president.

He emphasised the commitment of the Federal Government (FG) to the provision of necessary facilities that would enhance food productivity.

He said the ongoing solarisation of the Middle Ogun Irrigation Unit and the connection of the centre to the national electric power grid were parts of efforts to encourage irrigation farming.

“The Middle Ogun Irrigation project started in 1990, and the aim of the project was to put about 12,000 hectares of land into production.

“When the project started, it was to use diesel for its power generating plants but now we are changing the diesel method of powering our irrigation facilities to solar and the national grid power because of the high cost of diesel and other reasons,” he said.

The minister revealed that the connection of the centre to the national grid had reached 95 per cent completion, while the solarisation project had reached a completion stage of 85 per cent.

“From what we have seen now, we are okay that the ongoing procurement process will be able to complete the projects.

“Moreso, the rehabilitation of all other irrigation facilities will commence soon, and the centre will be fully operational in the next two to three years.

“So, all the 12,000 hectares of land we envisaged to put into production will be activated,” he said

Alhaji Dauda Ademola, Chairman of Middle Ogun Irrigation Project Farmers Association, Iseyin, appreciated the FG for ongoing projects at the centre.

Ademola urged the government to put in more interest in ensuring the speedy completion of the projects and other facilities that would enhance irrigation farming.