The Federal Government has commenced its National Pilot Ranching Programme with the inauguration of the first project at the Gongoshi Livestock Grazing Reserve in Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Speaking at the inauguration on Saturday, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, described the project as a significant milestone in the government’s drive to reform and modernise Nigeria’s livestock industry.
The pilot programme is expected to operate across five states including: Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Adamawa alongside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Maiha said the initiative formed part of the Tinubu administration’s broader plan to establish livestock development centres in different parts of the country.
“This is the first of the pilot projects we are inaugurating as part of the efforts, under the able leadership of President Bola Tinubu, to develop livestock development centres across the country.
“The Gongoshi Grazing Reserve has been willingly allocated by the Adamawa Government for the development of this centre. It was not an imposition.
“We did not take or grab anybody’s land. The Adamawa government willingly, and on its own volition, allocated this land,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the Adamawa State Government had earmarked about 9,600 hectares of land for the initiative, “which is being implemented through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Project (L-PRES), with support from the World Bank.”
He explained that the project would be delivered through a collaborative arrangement involving the Federal Government, state governments and qualified private-sector participants.
Maiha said Adamawa had identified dairy, beef, fodder, sheep and goats as the key livestock value chains to be prioritised under the programme.
He noted that some basic infrastructure had already been installed at the reserve, including a solar-powered borehole and drinking troughs for livestock. He added that plans were also underway to provide schools for the children of nomadic pastoralists and upgrade the veterinary facility at the reserve.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of L-PRES, Sanusi Abubakar, identified Gongoshi as one of five grazing reserves selected by the ministry for the pilot phase of the programme.
Abubakar emphasised the need for sustained cooperation between the Federal and state governments to successfully revive grazing reserves.
“The main purpose of resuscitating the grazing reserve is to reduce the radius of movement of livestock farmers.
“By doing so, we will have greater peace and improved collaboration between livestock farmers and crop farmers,” he said.
The L-PRES coordinator further disclosed that a weather station had been installed at the reserve through a partnership with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
According to him, the ranching initiative is expected to facilitate the production of improved pasture, seeds, hay and forage, while opening up new employment opportunities across cultivation, harvesting, processing and veterinary services.
“This project creates direct opportunities for our youth and local communities,” he said.
Representing the Adamawa State Government, the Chairman of Mayo-Belwa Local Government Council expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for selecting the state as one of the locations for the pilot ranching project.
He pledged that the state government would ensure adequate security for the equipment, infrastructure and other facilities established at the ranching reserve.
The inauguration attracted large-scale and intermediate livestock farmers, alongside representatives of livestock associations from Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe and Bauchi states.
