N100BILLION FOR NLTP 2019- 2028

N100BILLION FOR NLTP 2019- 2028
                                 By:
                  Nurudeen Dauda
                  September 22 , 2019
nurudeendauda24@gmail.com
nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com
nurudeendauda.blogspot.com

Permit me to ask, will the National Livestock Transformation Plan, NLTP, ends farmers -herders clashes? Will It be accepted by those who say it is unacceptable to use government’s resources for Individuals' businesses? Please come with me! 

In my observation, the Incessant farmers -herders clashes in the country has been made to look like an"ethnic"or "religious" issue by some ethnic champions and religious merchants as against the"real issue"which is struggle for "land resources". In my understanding, the conflict is purely on land resources which the farmers "cultivate"on and the herders "graze"on .

I quite agree with Timawus Mathias when he said: "It is a resource conflict, certainly neither religious nor ethnic. Even if both farmer and herder were Fulani, same would have occurred. The land resources is the issue, not tribe, not religion..."- (Daily Trust : December 6, 2017).

The federal government in its attempt to provide a "lasting solution" to farmers -herders conflicts has thought of : (1) Grazing Reserves in 2015, (2) Cattle colony in 2018 , and (3) Ruga Settlement in 2019 which were all seriously opposed by some sections of the country. 

One of the"major "argument promoted by the "opponents" of government's Intervention In "Cattle Business" is that the government has no business in supporting "personal"or "private" businesses of the people . In my view, this argument does not hold water. It is apt to state that even the US government as the champion of capitalism of this world, supports private businesses of individuals.

President Obama's government gave $80.7 billion bailout to the auto industry which was to last from December 2008 to December 2014.The Big Three automakers of General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler LLC which faced bankruptcy and the loss of about 1 million jobs during the global economy meltdown . He saved the job! 

Cattle Business is part and parcel of Agriculture. Governments in Nigeria from federal to states have been assisting "Crop" farmers in the areas of subsidized fertilizer, tractors, seedlings and pestisides etc. What does the government do to cattle herders? Are they not Nigerians? 

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,  in October 2006 gave commercial banks which are private businesses seven billion dollars ($7bn) as bailout funds . The CBN also injected N620 billion to some troubled banks in 2009.

The CBN has a lot of Intervention packages for Agri-business ; such as: Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS), Agricultural Credit Support Scheme (ACSS), Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF), Anchor borrowers program and Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

It also has Interventions for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, Creative Industry Financing Initiative, CIFI, Microfinance special Intervention fund ;Cotton, Textiles and Garments Intervention fund, Power and Airlines Intervention fund, Manufacturing Refinancing and Restructuring Facilities of bank loans fund on single digits Interest rates.

However, In my thought, it is"very wrong"to believe that, the only way to solve the problem of farmers -herders clashes is by "ranches". On the other hand, It is "very wrong" for the Fulani herdsmen to believe that, the present "Pastoralists practice "of moving around with their cattle must continue without adjustment.The Fulanis must be persuaded to gradually move away from their traditional cattle herding to modern ways.

We have had enough of farmers -herders clashes in Birnin- Gwari, Zamfara and Kastina states which are all Muslims and typical Hausa-Fulanis states. In my opinion, it is disheartening as well as hypocritical to link clashes between farmers and herders in Southern Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Plateau, and Adamawa as ethnic or religious while that of clashes in Niger, Birnin Gwari, Zamfara, and Kastina as mere arm banditry or cattle rustling.

The new NLTP will be for the entire animal husbandry sector not cattle business only. N100bn will be spent with the federal government contributing 80% in grant, while states will contribute land, project implementation structure, personnel and 20% cost of the project. It is voluntary for state governments that want it. As we learnt this time around it has been approved by all states governors through the National economic Council. 

May God bless Nigeria !

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