By Omodele Adigun
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has lamented the nation’s loss of over $14billion yearly due to the frequent farmer-herder clashes, just as he admonished Nigeria to develop its fishing industry.
According to Osinbajo, who spoke on Tuesday in Lagos, while declaring open this year’s Livestock and Aquaculture Trade Fair, as the nation’s population is projected to grow to over 250million in 2030.
He said it was disheartening that conflicts between farmers and herdsmen have continued to rob the nation of $14 billion annually.
Represented by Efosa Onyezebe, the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) Delivery Advisor at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development, he explained that to overcome the challenge, the Federal Government initiated the NLTP to support and strengthen the development of market-driven ranches in the livestock ecosystem for improved livestock productivity through breed (genetic) improvement and pasture production, in addition to efficient land and water productivity improvement. Giving update on the program, the Vice President said 22 states have so far sent letters of expression of interest ;10 so has set up the state Livestock Transformation Office; while four states have identified and mapped the gazetted grazing reserves in their domain and are ready for take-off.He added thato some states have received funding for the development of the pilot ranches.