University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) in collaboration with the former INEC Chairman and Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Livestock Reform, Professor Attahiru Jega, is set to host a high-level policy discourse that will spotlight the persistent crisis between farmers and herders alongside other challenges in Nigeria’s livestock.
The event, which is to be held on June 30, 2025, is part of the Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture Series organised by the university’s Faculty of Social Sciences and also reported to honour Distinguished Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Production Services.
The lecture, according to organizers, will serve as a platform to assess Nigeria’s complex and evolving livestock policy landscape, particularly the unresolved herder-farmer conflicts, the need for sustainable ranching systems, and the growing urgency to modernise the livestock value chain as a pathway to food security, economic growth, and national stability.
Professor Jega is expected to outline the Tinubu administration’s blueprint for reforming the livestock sector, tackling environmental degradation linked to open grazing, and introducing structured interventions aimed at reducing rural conflicts and enhancing productivity.
In a statement issued by the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Adedoyin Jolaade Omede, the 2025 edition of the lecture is both timely and symbolic.
According to her, the event was designed not only to provoke critical national reflection on agriculture and rural security, but also to celebrate Senator Mustapha for his policy-driven leadership in the National Assembly.
“In just two years at the Senate, Senator Mustapha has repositioned the Agriculture Committee as a hub of stakeholder engagement and legislative innovation.
His work has focused on rural development, food systems, and sectoral reform,” the statement read.
Professor Omede added that the Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture Series was created to bridge the gap between scholarship and governance, especially in areas that directly affect the welfare and stability of Nigerian communities.
It was also gathered that the lecture will be hosted by the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, and is expected to draw participation from across the country—including policymakers, development partners, traditional leaders, researchers, students, and private sector actors.
This year’s lecture is expected to serve not only as a think tank for new ideas but also as a national sounding board for solutions to some of Nigeria’s most pressing agricultural and security challenges.
