The government of Borno State has called upon the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to support its efforts in revitalizing the state’s livestock industry, which has suffered significant setbacks due to the Boko Haram insurgency.
Governor Babagana Zulum made this request on Thursday during a meeting in Maiduguri with a delegation from the federal ministry, led by its Permanent Secretary, Dr. Chinyere Akujobi.
Governor Zulum noted that Borno was once the leading state in Nigeria’s livestock production. However, the state’s position in the sector was severely affected by years of insurgency, which disrupted economic activities, including livestock farming.
The governor expressed the state’s determination to restore its former status in livestock production, highlighting the steps his administration is taking to achieve this goal.
In pursuit of this objective, the governor announced that Borno State had established a Livestock Development Agency.
The agency’s role is to drive initiatives that will enhance livestock production and help the state recover from the damages caused by the insurgency.
To fast-track interventions in the sector, Governor Zulum advocated for strong collaboration between the federal ministry, the state’s Ministry of Agriculture, and the newly established livestock development agency.
He also revealed that his administration had reached out to the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Project (L-PRESS) to provide urgent assistance to the many livestock farmers who were severely impacted by a recent flood disaster.
The flood worsened the already difficult situation for farmers who had been struggling to rebuild their businesses after years of insecurity.
“Borno used to be the largest producer of livestock in Nigeria, but due to Boko Haram insurgency, we lost that position,” Zulum stated during the meeting.
“We are trying to recover and bounce back, and to achieve this target, we need the support of the ministry and other stakeholders,” he added, urging for broad cooperation in the recovery process.
In her response, Permanent Secretary Dr. Chinyere Akujobi expressed her sympathy for the government and people of Borno State over the flood disaster and reassured them of the federal government’s support.
She explained that the visit was made at the directive of President Bola Tinubu, who wanted the team to carry out an on-the-ground assessment.
This, she said, was essential to avoid developing generic solutions from the capital, Abuja, without understanding the specific challenges on the ground.
“Mr. President directed us to come down here to carry out an on-the-spot assessment. The essence is that we don’t want to develop interventions from Abuja. We want to touch the base, assess, and be able to develop specific targeted interventions informed by the information gathered on this mission,” Akujobi said.
She further mentioned that as part of the efforts to support livestock farmers, her team had activated a livestock emergency operation center in Borno, which would receive support from L-PRESS.
In addition, the team facilitated the arrival of animal feed to help manage the disruption in the food supply chain caused by the recent floods.
The delegation also included representatives from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other experts, who discussed strategies for revitalizing Borno’s livestock sector and supporting the local farmers.
