The National Economic Council (NEC) has constituted a high-level committee on livestock development to accelerate the transformation of Nigeria’s livestock sector.
The move is aimed at resolving the long-standing farmer-herder crisis and bolstering national food security.
The decision was reached yesterday during the 155th meeting of the NEC, which was held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
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Shettima emphasised that achieving food security is a “moral obligation” that can only be fulfilled through an enduring, practical, and nationally accepted solution to communal conflicts.
“We must acknowledge with absolute regret the deep distrust created by this violence, born out of a trade and an ancestral practice that ought to have remained a central pillar of our food security,” he stated.
He identified the mismanagement of long-standing tensions as the root cause of conflicts that have strained ancestral bonds and disrupted livelihoods across all regions of Nigeria.
The newly formed committee is chaired by the Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris.
To ensure nationwide representation, the committee includes one member from each of Nigeria’s six geo-political zones: Bauchi State (North-East), Niger State (North-Central), Ondo State (South-West), Imo State (South-East), Cross River State (South-South) and Kebbi State (North-West).
Additional members include the Ministers of Livestock Development, Agriculture and Food Security, and Budget and Economic Planning, as well as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness.
The council has mandated the committee to review recommendations from the Presidential Livestock Reform Committee (PLRC), examine proposals from the Ministry of Livestock Development and identify interested states for immediate program implementation.
This development follows a directive issued by President Bola Tinubu on December 10, 2025, during a Federal Executive Council meeting.
The President tasked the NEC to collaborate with the Ministry of Livestock Development to create a clear roadmap for the industry’s modernisation.
Shettima commended the President’s “bold initiative” to integrate the livestock sector into the national economy as a key component of prosperity.
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He urged state governors to leverage the opportunities within the sector for economic transformation and the restoration of peace.
“These presentations seek to dispel the false choice between agriculture and security by demonstrating that both are inseparable pillars of national stability,” Shettima said.
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