The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has called for strong institutional support to drive the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) in Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday during his presentation at the Summit on National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) with the theme: “Postioning The Nigerian Livestock Sector For 21st Century Economy, “jointly organised by Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Agriculture Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN), Mr.Fred Kaferro, FAO Representative to Nigeria and ECoWAS, underscored the need for a strong institutional set up to drive national level implementation in a coordinated manner.
Kaferro called on the Federal and State Governments to review the implementation arrangements with a view to clarifying roles and responsibilities of States and Federal level actors, development partners and private sector, including on areas of funding and resources mobilisation.
He said the measure will fast track its implementation, monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability for the results.
He further called for the strengthening of advocacy and public awareness about the NLTP, which is critical in building stakeholders’ understanding and clarifying public perceptions about the Plan.
Also Dr. Andrew Kwasari, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agriculture, said Nigeria loses about $14billion annually to the incessant conflicts between farmers and herders in Nigeria.
To resolve the lingering crises between farmers and herders as well as reposition the livestock sector in the country, Kwasari, said the Federal Government in collaboration with States has begun the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP)2019–2028.
He noted that already 22 States have sent letters of expression of interest to the office of the Chairman of National Economic Council and Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, adding that 10 States have set up the States Livestock Transformation Office.
As part of the implementation strategy, he said four States have identified and mapped out the gazetted grazing reserves in their domain as well as taken-off the implementation of the NLTP in earnest.
These states, according to him, include Nasarawa, Plateau, Adamawa and Kaduna.
