Tinubu Pushes Ranching, Livestock Reforms as NEC Conference Opens

By Sofiat Adenekan-Abdul

President Bola Tinubu on Monday said he expects the National Economic Council (NEC) conference to produce practical resolutions on ranching, livestock investment, and agricultural diversification.

Speaking at the opening of the two-day conference at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, the President linked reforms in the livestock sector to national security, describing banditry and terrorism as economic threats that require urgent and coordinated solutions.

“I’m confident that the resolution of this conference will include dairy farming, livestock investment, ranches, and diversification of our agricultural produce. I promise Nigeria that this will be delivered,” Tinubu said.

The conference, themed “Delivering Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development: The Renewed Hope National Development Plan,” is holding on February 9 and 10.

It is expected to address key macroeconomic issues, including fiscal coordination, investment mobilisation, and cooperation between federal and state governments.

Tinubu recalled his December 10 directive to Vice President Kashim Shettima and the NEC to develop a roadmap for livestock reforms through ranching, aimed at addressing persistent farmer-herder conflicts.

He also directed the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, to identify villages and grazing areas that could be converted into modern ranches.

“We must eliminate these areas of conflict and make the livestock reform economically viable,” he said.
Following the directive, the NEC at its 155th meeting on December 18 set up a Livestock Development Committee chaired by Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris, with representatives from the six geopolitical zones, to fast-track reforms nationwide.

At the conference, the President also pledged to strengthen security forces to combat terrorism and banditry, which he said continue to threaten lives and livelihoods.

“It is an economic hindrance if we do not find immediate solutions,” Tinubu said, adding that such acts are foreign to Nigeria’s culture and unacceptable.

He commended Vice President Shettima for his leadership of the NEC and praised state governors, particularly those of Borno and Katsina, for their efforts to maintain security and stability.

The event is attended by state governors, senior government officials, development partners, and private-sector leaders as the Federal Government advances reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.