A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Livestock Reforms, Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, has unveiled a comprehensive national blueprint to modernize the livestock sector, drastically reduce herder-farmer conflicts, and create millions of jobs.
Delivering a lecture at the Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture Series organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin, in honour of a member of the National Assembly from Kwara Central Senatorial District, Senator Saliu Mustapha, Jega called for urgent, sweeping reforms anchored in innovation, infrastructure, and inclusiveness.
“ This is not another policy lost to bureaucratic inertia. It is a decisive national reset. The cost of inaction measured in conflict, underdevelopment, and human suffering far outweighs the investments required,” Jega said.
He called for the creation of National Livestock Industrial Zones in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical regions.
“ These zones would feature EU and ECOWAS-certified abattoirs, dairy processing clusters powered by renewable energy, and integrated leather parks. Modeled after Ethiopia’s Bishoftu Industrial Park, these hubs aim to slash post-harvest losses, currently over 30% in meat and dairy and attract both local and foreign investment”, he said.
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To address the persistent and often deadly farmer-herder clashes, Jega advocated the implementation of a National Ranching Corridor System, saying that this system would involve GIS-mapped grazing reserves, the provision of water infrastructure, and the issuance of long-term pastoral land titles under a proposed National Livestock Transformation Law.
“ With traditional rulers co-managing grazing allocations and conflict resolution units, the framework is projected to reduce violent confrontations by up to 70% within five years, drawing lessons from Botswana’s success”, Jega said.
Recognizing that feed costs consume nearly 70% of production expenses, the Presidential aide introduced the concept of “Operation Feed Abundance”, pointing out that the initiative would expand feed mills in high-production states and develop irrigated fodder belts along major rivers, while imposing tariffs to encourage local feed sourcing.
To position Nigeria as a key player in the West African meat trade, the former INEC Chairman proposed the designation of Special Livestock Export Zones in Kano, Jos, and Lagos, complete with Halal and Kosher certification centres and ECOWAS-compliant quarantine facilities.
To bring these reforms to life, Jega emphasized the urgent need for legal frameworks, including the National Livestock Transformation Bill, the Livestock Infrastructure Development Fund Act, and the Animal Health Surveillance Agency Bill. He also recommended the formation of a National Livestock Reform Council, chaired by the President or Vice President, with the private sector expected to inject up to $500 million annually into infrastructure.
In his remarks, the honouree, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agricultural Production Services and Rural Development, Senator Saliu Mustapha, urged subnational governments to allocate at least 10% of their budgets to agriculture, in line with the Maputo Declaration, emphasizing that livestock holds immense potential for job creation and food security.
“ If we focus seriously on livestock, millions of young Nigerians will find gainful employment, and our dependence on white-collar jobs will reduce significantly,” Mustapha noted.
He lauded President Tinubu for prioritizing agriculture and disclosed that through the Saliu Mustapha Foundation, butchers in Ilorin had recently been profiled and supplied cattle imported from Sudan to boost their operations.
*Donates Cash, Lecture Theater, UCT Centre to Unilorin*
As a gesture of appreciation to the University of Ilorin, Saliu Mustapha who is also the Turaki of Ilorin announced a ₦10 million donation to the Faculty of Social Sciences, along with a pledge to construct an ICT centre and a modern lecture hall.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN), represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services) Professor Adisa Fawole, praised Jega’s thought leadership and aligned the university’s support with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Dean of the Faculty, Professor Adedoyin Jolaade Omeda, described the lecture theme—“The Political Economy of Livestock Development in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects”—as both timely and critical, given Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.
She hailed Jega as a rare blend of academic depth and transformative public service, while also acknowledging Senator Mustapha’s visible contributions to development across Kwara State.