Director, Department of Animal Husbandry Services. Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Winnie Tai-Solarin in this interview with John Oba, has assured that the Livestock summit coming up tomorrow will bring together over 200 experts in the sector to brainstorm on the sector.
Why is the Summit on National Livestock Transformation co-organised by Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Agriculture Correspondent Association of Nigeria, ACAN, coming up this time?
The Summit is coming at this time because it is about time it happened and in the pages of newspapers, discussions around the National Livestock Transformation Plan, NLTP, has been seen differently depending on who is reporting, discussing and trying to implement based on the strategy that has been laid down.
So, this time around partnering with Agriculture Correspondents Association of Nigeria, ACAN, will create awareness and correct a lot of misconceptions; the reportage we should change it straight because you know that the correspondents themselves will be there and the media will be there fully and of course the practitioners will be there, the experts will be there, private sector will be there government will be there, and very many stakeholders will be there.
Key players in the livestock industry will look at the very many areas of the National Livestock Transformation Plan beyond just what was launched together for to run 2019 to 2028, and the pillars have been provided, and then we dive deep into the implementation. What have we been doing? Because everywhere you hear “what are they doing about NLTP, the government is doing nothing about NLTP.” That is not correct. Government has been working assiduously to bring about transformation and the livestock industry.
So, it is about time we document some of these interventions, achievements and different activities that are being geared; programmes, projects that are being geared towards actualizing the NLTP.
This programme is coming at a very, very good time to clear the air about NLTP to bring states and non-state actors to talk about NLTP to even allow the media to air their own views and to bring highlights of what they have been thinking about NLTP, so we can look at it and explain what it is and how we can be better, and which areas do we need as state and no- state actors to also look at in trying to bring about this transformation in the livestock industry?
I will say that the Nigeria livestock industry has not received this type of attention for so many years. So, this summit, like so many other summits and programmes on the livestock industry is another way of drawing attention or showcasing what has been done.
On the issues of misconceptions about the NLTP, do you think this Summit has the capacity to impact stakeholders that will change the narrative?
It is very possible, because it is the same media that takes the story out, and then we read the papers and we listen and then we take the stories beyond any snowballs. So, if the media is fully aware of what government is doing and fully understand what we are talking about, and all the conflict, sometimes maybe political, maybe cultural, environmental or something that has to do with misunderstanding between the farmer and herder.
Not necessarily fighting over resources or could be some other fundamental issues, all these issues will come to the fore and fully understand really what we are talking about.
The farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria have been for a very long time, it only just escalated because of what we have read and what people have been told, and misconceptions.
So, this Summit will again address this misconception and try to put out in proper perspective exactly what this crisis is all about, and what government is doing to mitigate this conflict.
Can this Summit also help address high cost of feed right now in the livestock industry?
You know this is just a Summit. With this summit we will draw attention to some of the issues that we have in the feed industry. ACAN in their own normal way will push and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in our own way will try to create enabling environment that will necessitate more interventions in the feed industry.
This Summit in itself alone cannot address the issues. This Summit will create a platform for better dialogue on this issue and also bring to the fore what government is already doing so people can key in.
We have being building the capacity of feed millers on utilization of alternative feed resources.
A lot of people go for maize. Everyone wants to go for maize, and soybean, these are the key ingredients. If it is possible for other key players to utilize alternative feed resources and lift the pressure a bit on maize, I am sure that the cost of feed will come down to some extent, particularly for the smallholder farmers that can now put together these alternative feed sources and make their own simple feed that will feed the backyard poultry that we see while the bigger players can be talking big, the smaller players will have a way of bringing down the cost of their own production for us to have at least reduction in price at that level.
The Summit will create that platform for this discussion. But the summit in itself we must understand it is not the panacea. It is just going to help facilitate that.
How many participants are we expecting at the Summit?
We are hoping that we will have above 200 participants and above. We are hoping that we are going to have participants that will cut across the very many areas such as animal feed pasture, animal health, livestock breeding, dairy, grazing reserves development and conflict resolution.
We will also draw our attention to the fact that NLTP is not only for cattle. We are going to be bringing monogastric livestock in it; pig, poultry, and other monogastric animals.
We will also look at our collaboration with partners because we are going to have a lot of partners coming including regulatory bodies, Research Institutes, and all the key players that will require collaborating and synergize to bring about transformation in the livestock industry.
Are we actually looking at this policy (NLTP) to totally change the livestock sector because we have seen a lot of government policies being formulated and at the end of the day you see policy somersault?
I just want to throw little light on this issue. When I was in a gathering, where we talked about policy somersault and someone said yes, policy must somersault because you have different people and players at different times in government. Now, what am I saying is, the National Livestock Transformation Plan is a plan that draws strength from different policies.
In the livestock industry, we have not really had very clear-cut policies. But under the National Livestock Transformation Plan, we have seen the very key and we are already pushing for the National Dairy Policy that has been finalized and now ready for the Honorable Minister to take the next step. Then you have the National Animal Breeding policy that has reached the second to the last stage. Where we are now is to validate what we have said, then call for the final Validation workshop and push it again for the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to push beyond us. Then we have the Animal Feed Policy for the first time in Nigeria we are talking about the feed policy. Other climes or other countries have it but in Nigeria is a first time. And all these are coming about because of the National Livestock Transformation Plan.
Everybody is looking for ways to transform the livestock industry, if policy is the way to go let us go that way. Then that is not forgetting the NATIP, the overall policy that we are drawing from the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan, and that policy has been concluded now and is moving to Federal Executive Council, FEC.
The National Livestock Transformation Plan has elicited all these instruments that we need to help us drive the livestock industry, transform it in the way we want to move it from what we have now going on pretty much uncoordinated and everybody going their way to a more organized sector that will even hit the international market and compete like other countries do.
In the past, we have had policy somersaults but we are hoping that we will synergize this time and get a policy that every government coming in or going out will see as very important to drive the livestock industry. This has never been so and is a plus for the National Livestock Transformation Plan.
World Earth Day: Do something to save humanity, expert urged government
As the world celebrate the World Earth Day, an environmental experts, and director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Dr. Nnimmo Baseey, has called on governments across the world to do something tangible to save humanity as humans have had extremely negative footprints on the Earth, transforming, exploiting and consuming without thinking of replacing or replenishing the stock of what we are consuming.
A statement signed by Media/Communication Lead of HOMEF, Miss Kome Odhomor on Saturday, Bassey said the International Mother Earth Day’s theme for this year urges humans to ‘Invest In Our Planet’ as a means to building a livable future for humans, other beings and natural systems.
“It reminds us as human that the Earth is ours to protect
and preserve but over time humans have abandoned their roles in
protecting the planet because of selfishness and drive for profit.
“This is in the best interest of humans as we need saving, not the
planet. We have had extremely negative footprints on the Earth,
transforming, exploiting and consuming without thinking of replacing or
replenishing the stock of what we are consuming. We tend to think that
the Planet is limitless and that the gifts of Nature can be grabbed
without any sense of care or responsibility.
“It is obvious that humans have gravely ignored the need to see climate
change as a catastrophic phenomenon. Globally, leaders are more ready to
invest in destructive activities than to invest in climate action.
“In Nigeria and the rest of Africa we tend to believe that if other regions
gained by polluting the atmosphere we must exercise the right to pollute
so as to attend their level of so-called progress.
“Nigeria keeps flaring gas in the oilfield communities, pumping millions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and poisoning both the people and the
environment. That is called progress at the altar of foreign exchange.
Deforestation is going on at alarming rate all across the nation. Where
is climate action in that? The world is moving away from internal
combustion engines or cars using petrol and diesel, perhaps we may be
celebrating the fact that we will become the cemetery of discarded cars
and machines”.
Bassey further stated that “Today is a good day for everyone to decide
to be active ecological defenders in our communities. We should also
reject risky agricultural genetic engineering as it erodes our
biodiversity and thus negatively impact our environment. Do not engage
in polluting activities such as destructive mining, oil theft,
deforestation and other wasteful actions. Reject single use plastics.
Plant a tree. Be your brother’s keeper. Love and invest in our planet
because we have no Planet B”.
Israel Orekha the director of Connected Advocacy spoke on the topic
‘Invest in our planet’ expressing optimism that the earth has a
potential to get better if we invest on the youths.
According to him, “There is a gap in capacity and inadequate knowledge in our youths. The need to bridge the gap is by involving young people in the drive to sustaining the future and to adopt an eco-friendly solution”
Babawale Obayanju of Environmental Rights Action (ERA/FoEN) who spoke on
the ‘Future of the Earth; Plastic or Fish’ noted that over the years,
the investment in the future has been investment in machines. “With
continuous upgrade and modernization in our equipment, we have become
modern day slaves and we are losing our culture and identity as
Africans. Our future should be in the interconnectedness with the planet
and how we can protect our fishes which we suffocate with our waste and
plastics in our oceans.
Mrs. Winnie Tai-Solarin
