Farmers/herders conflicts: Adamawa, Plateau, Nasarawa listed as pilot states for NLTP takeoff- Umahi

Adamawa, Plateau, Nasarawa have been listed as pilot states for National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) takeoff.

The Chairman of the Sub-Committee and governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, made the disclosure after a meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The National Economic Council  had in September 2019 proposed a budget of N100billion for the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan.

They had proposed that the Federal Government would bear 80 per cent of the N100 billion, while participating states would support with the balance of N20 billion and land for the programme.

The NLTP is the NEC’s proposal to address the problem of herders/farmers clashes in the country. In the implementation plan, only states willing to contribute land for grazing reserves and other facilities will participate.

Umahi, told State House Correspondents that the NLTP will put an end to the incessant conflicts, leading to waste of lives and property, that have characterized farmers/herders crisis.

According to him, while the choice of participation is left with states, the federal government would be responsible for the development of the sites in the states that agree to it.

“We are getting there.  We have penciled down three states that we have evaluated: Adamawa, Plateau and Nassarawa.  So, we are going ahead to ask them to submit their programmes and costing for implementation.

“The expectation is that we have clear mandates.  One is that this programme is going to resolve to a very large extent the farmers-herders conflict.  So, if we revive some of the grazing reserves, especially in the north, for willing states, we are going to see this conflict come down.  Then, also a modern way of cow rearing for greater benefits.  These are things we expect to see.

“We have spoken to people in the grazing reserves, spoken to the traditional rulers, the district heads and the population within that location and they are willing to go with the programme: the NLTP.

“In this programme, you are going to have some farmers that are within the grazing reserves doing their farming and the herders also doing theirs.  Of course there is going to be a demarcation.

“The emphasis still remains that it is the willing states.  Even if you have grazing reserves like some states in the north and the state is not willing to key into it, it is not compulsory”, he explained.