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From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, immediate past Governor of the state, Alhaji Saadu Nasamu Dakingari have sought for permanent frame work 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, National Boundary Commission, noted that any frame work designed from the meeting, as long it was in the interest of unity and progress of the West Africa 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 important 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 300 million dollars finding is currently, has been, 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 noted that the pastoralist sector are full of hardworking people who are looking for opportunity to cater for their children, given then good education , stressed that investment in the sector would yielded better returns.
“I believed that Nigeria, particularly President Muhammadu Buhari will support us on this programme as quickly as possible, so that we can demonstrate how it will work. Even before then, the current protocol of West Africa, the current frame work of operations allows us to collaborate more and I propose that we can send the recommendation so that, Dosso, Alibori and Nigeria and Kebbi, supported by ECOWAS ,CILSS can made this frame work while we are waiting for our national leaders to endorse it and send it to others bounder countries so that they can come and learn from us”.
Earlier, the immediate past Governor of Kebbi State,Alhaji Saadu Nasamu Dakingari in his remark, urged politicians in Nigeria, Niger Republic and Benin republic to take the issue of pastoralists problem very serious , stressed that it not about land, ‘ it is about the rain, climate change”.
Dakingari explained that the expansion of farming land has continue to pose serious challenges to pastoralists who are always migrating during dry seasons from Sahel to Southern regions for pastures.
Earlier, Mr. Sekou Sangare, who is the ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Governor of Dosso in Niger Republic, Alhaji Assoumana Ahmadou and the Governor of Alibori in Benin Republic, Ky-Samah Bello all appreciated the warm hospitality they received from Government and people of Kebbi State.
They congratulated the Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and the entire people Nigeria on the country’s 61st independence anniversary
They called for more closer ties to deal with issues challenging
Pastoralism, livestock, trans-human and cross-border cooperation while at the same time called for concrete action to deal with insecurity bedeviling the sub-region .
Earlier, the Deputy Director Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Adeniyi Adedoyin suggested that there should be frame work to track performances and identifications of animals stressed that, to practice ranching,Kebbi state can start its own frame work to test it workability.
Also, the Director General of National Boundary Commission, Dr. Adamu Adaji, represented by Haji Hauwa Abdul Ismail commended the organizer of the workshop stressed that it has given the Commission an opportunity to witness projects done by the Kebbi state government.
