Bagudu, Dakingari, seek framework on cattle movement in Sahel

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi

Kebbi State governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and the immediate past governor of the state, Alhaji Saadu Nasamu Dakingari, have sought for a permanent framework to limit movement of cattle from Sahel to other regions in Africa.

Bagudu, who is also the Vice-Chairman of Nigeria Food Security Council (NFSC), while speaking at the end of pastoralists week in Birnin Kebbi jointly organized by Dosso in Niger Republic, Alibori in Benin Republic, Kebbi State of Nigeria alongside ECOWAS representative and the National Boundary Commission, noted that any framework designed from the meeting as long as it was in the interest of unity and progress of the West African countries, Nigeria’s leaders would accept it.

He said: “Animal husbandry is a big important work in West Africa, and I am happy that we all appreciated the importance of this sector. And I am glad that the CILSS is leading effort to generate resources that will help us to develop the sector. There was a statement that about US$300 million funding is currently being mobilized by the CILSS. And that is most important, what this funding can do is to help us draw the attention of world to the potential in animal husbandry in West Africa. Because its requires more than that to develop. And we must have a way of communicating it to the ECOWAS leadership, perhaps African Union (AU) leadership that we need them to be unanimous in this area so that we can generate billions of dollars that can support the pastoral sector in West Africa,” Bagudu said.

He noted that the pastoralist sector is full of hardworking people who are looking for opportunity to cater for their children, give them good education and stressed that investment in the sector would yield better returns.