FG launches national livestock pilot project in Nasarawa

 

The federal government has launched a pilot scheme of the National Livestock Transformation Project (NLTP) in Awe local government of Nasarawa state.
President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, Thursday said  the project is designed to partner with interested state governments to provide land for livestock farmers to boost productive.

He said the NLTP is a scheme adopted by the National Executive Council (NEC) in 2018 and if fully implemented, it would improve productivity in the livestock sector as well as reduce security challenges in the country.

He added that the federal government already secured grant to kick off the project in five states as pilot which includes, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Plateau,Gombe and Kaduna.
He said so far 22 states and the FCT have registered with the NLTP secretariat out of which ten states have created their own team that has been trained by NLTP. Seven of these ten states have also earmarked about 19 grazing reserves with the implementation of the program with a total land size of 40,000 hectares of land.

The chairman, Northern Governors Forum and governor of Plateau state, Samuel Lalong, thanked the minister, particularly the president for the project.

He said he expected that before next year all the 36 governors would be involved in the NLTP.

He added that ranching is not a business that is exclusive for one particular ethnic or religious group.

“It is open to all people who are ready to invest and earn more income. It is also a key in resolving many of our security and environmental challenges,” Lalong said.

Nasarawa state governor, Abdullahi Sule, appealed to the federal government to expedite action and ensure that the project is also launched in Wase local government of Plateau state as soon as possible.