This was what informed our proposal to establish, in due course, a whole Ministry for Livestock Development with a mandate to implement our policies and programs
By Abdullahi Idris, Dutse
Jigawa State is taking bold steps to transform its livestock sector, collaborating with the Federal Government to boost food security, create jobs, and grow the economy.
This fact was made known at the Jigawa State Stakeholders Consultative Workshop on Livestock Reforms held at the Manpower Development Institute (MDI), in Dutse.
The workshop, which was organized by the Jigawa Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee (JLRIC) with the participation of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee led by Professor Attahiru Muhammad Jega, brought together stakeholders to map out a brighter future for the sector.
Speaking at the event, Governor Umar Namadi stressed the importance of livestock to Jigawa’s economy and culture, saying that, “Livestock and Animal Husbandry is not just an economic activity in Jigawa State; it is a way of life for most families for time immemorial, from generations to generations. Accounting for almost 10% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022,the sector is considered to be very critical and vital to the development our State’s economy and the attainment of our vision of Greater Jigawa.”
He shared his administration’s 12-Point Agenda for livestock development, which includes programs to improve animal breeding, expand dairy production, and support farmers and also reechoed the government’s plans to create a Ministry for Livestock Development.
“This was what informed our proposal to establish, in due course, a whole Ministry for Livestock Development with a mandate to implement our policies and programs aimed at an accelerated development of the Livestock Sector with a view to optimizing its contribution to our quest for food security and economic diversification. This, we firmly believe, would ensure that maximum attention is accorded to all the key components of the sector as outlined in our 12-Point Agenda.”
The governor then highlighted recent successes, like training 300 Community Animal Health Workers, vaccinating over 560,000 animals, and gazetting 57 grazing reserves so far across the state.