FG allocates N315m for ranch development in Imo, Cross River, Lagos, three other states

The Ministry of Livestock Development is set to establish ranches in seven states across Nigeria as part of its 2025 plans.

According to information obtained by Nigerian Tribune, the proposed ranches will be located in Lagos and Ogun states in the South-West, Imo and Cross River states in the South-East and South-South, respectively, and Adamawa, Taraba, and Kebbi states in the North-East and North-West.

The 2025 budget allocates N315 million for the establishment of these ranches. Additionally, the Ministry has earmarked N150 million for poultry domestication farms in Delta, Abia, and Bauchi states.

The ministry’s total budget of N11.8 billion includes N1.8 billion for overhead and N10 billion for capital expenditures. A sum of N600 million has been allocated for the provision of “solar power in livestock production communities in 30 federal constituencies,” while another N50 million is dedicated to providing “solar-powered streetlights for grazing reserves.”

To tackle the persistent farmers-herders conflict, N85 million is set aside for “stakeholder engagement with governors, traditional rulers, and leaders of thought on farmers-herders conflict” at both federal and state levels. Furthermore, N101 million is budgeted for the “establishment of farmers and herders conflict resolution mechanisms in communities, wards, LGAs, and states.”

The Ministry has also allocated N97 million to establish a performance management system to track staff productivity.

The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development was approved in July 2023 during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Livestock Reform Implementation Committee at the State House, Abuja. The move aligns with the recommendations of the National Livestock Reforms Committee, which called for the creation of a “Ministry of Livestock Resources” to provide sector-specific solutions to the recurring farmers-herders crisis.