What VP Shettima, Oborevwori, Okpebholo, Other Governors Discussed During NEC Meeting

The National Economic Council (NEC) has emphasized that Nigeria must move away from traditional methods of raising livestock and adopt modern practices.

Led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the council made this decision during its meeting on Thursday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The meeting took place amid rising violence in states like Plateau, Benue, and Kwara, where many people have recently been killed in attacks.

The meeting had in attendance Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside several other governors including Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara, Monday Okpebholo of Edo, and Bassey Otu of Cross River.

Deputy governors from various states were also part of the deliberations.

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, spoke to the press after the meeting, stating that the council stressed the importance of modernizing livestock management in Nigeria.

“The council emphasized the fact that we cannot continue to live in the past, and we must now work towards modernizing livestock production in Nigeria,” Diri said.

He explained that the current methods of raising animals are contributing to clashes between farmers and herders in various regions. In response, the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development has introduced the Accelerated Livestock Development and Growth Strategy, which aims to increase income from the livestock sector to between $70 billion and $90 billion by 2035.

Clashes between herders and farmers, particularly over land, are common in central Nigeria. Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, had earlier stated that “suspected herdsmen” were responsible for recent attacks in Ukum and Logo local government areas. The herders are often Muslim Fulani, while the farmers are mostly Christian, which can add a religious or ethnic dimension to the violence in the Middle Belt.

Just this month, over 100 people were killed in Plateau State during two separate attacks by unknown gunmen. The killings, which left more than 50 dead in just two districts, have intensified the situation in Plateau. Local officials have labeled the killings as “genocide,” claiming they were “sponsored by terrorists.”

However, some believe that the root cause of the violence is land disputes, worsened by the government’s failure to adequately control rural areas. A herders’ group has condemned the killings in Plateau, but also noted that farmers have attacked their members as well.

In Plateau and other parts of the Middle Belt, such as Benue, land is becoming scarce due to climate change and population growth, leading to deadly conflicts over land ownership and usage rights. The limited presence of police in these rural areas often exacerbates the situation, as people take matters into their own hands, seeking revenge when violence erupts.