EMERGING CHALLENGES FACING ANIMAL AGRICULTURE IN NIGERIA AND THE WAY FORWARD.

1. EMERGING CHALLENGES FACING ANIMAL AGRICULTURE IN NIGERIA AND THE WAY FORWARD. Istifanus Ishaku Dafwang, MAESON, NCA, RAS, FASAN, FNIAS PROF. (RTD). AND VILLAGE BASED SMALL SCALE FARMER

2. INTRODUCTION • APPRECIATION FOR INVITATION • RELAVANCE OF TOPIC EMERGING CHALLENGES • PASTORALISM AND HERDSMEN/FARMER CLASHES. • INCONSISTENCIES IN GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN RELATION TO AGRICULTURE IN GENERAL AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION IN PARTICULAR.

3. EMERGING CHALLENGES Cont’d 3. CORRUPTION AMONGST THE POLITICAL ELITES AND THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED BY “GET RICH QUICK” AND AVARICE VIRUSES / SYNDROMES. 4. ECONOMIC RECESSION IN RELATION TO HIGH COST OF ANIMAL FEEDS AND OTHER INPUTS FOR ANIMAL PRODUCTION.

4. EMERGING CHALLENGES Cont’d • ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION BY LIVESTOCK FARM EFFLUENTS. • BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY AND CATTLE RUSTLING.

5. INCONSISTENCIES IN GOVERNMENT POLICIES • POLICY EVOLUTION AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES TOWARDS BOOSTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, STORAGE, MARKETING AND UTILIZATION TEND TO COME AND GO WITH EVERY CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT. • SOMETIMES, EVEN IN THE SAME GOVERNMENT, CHANGES ARE MADE WHENEVER THERE IS A CHANGE OF MINISTER (AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL) OR COMMISSIONER AT THE STATE LEVEL).

6. FIG. 1. MAN MUST WACK WHETHER RICH OR POOR

7. INCONSISTENCIES IN GOVERNMENT POLICIES(2) • SOME OF THE CHANGES MAY COME WITH GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT, AS PROFESSOR IDACHABA (AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AND ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING NIGERIAN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMISTS) REPORTED, “GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH” (IDACHABA, 2002 AND DAFWANG, 2006).

8. AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION POLICY, 1960 - 2000 Linear Model (Top down approach?) Fig. 1. Evolution of Research - Extension - Farmer - Linkages and Extension Management Approaches in Nigeria. 1960 – 1995.

10. AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENDA: BEEF Increase the amount of beef into the national meat market by 650,000 metric tonnes annually by 2015. Raise the national average slaughter weight of cattle from 250kg to 350kg Increase the national herd growth rate from 1.4 to 3.3% Provide commercially viable partnership between livestock producers and markets along the value chain.

11. AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENDA: BEEF Improve the production system along commercial and business operations Establish a National Livestock Breeding Policy that promotes technology adoption for faster growth of the industry. Establish a National Meat Development and Marketing Corporation for the long term sustenance and growth of the industry.

12. EXPECTED OUTCOMES a. Establishment of 44 Commercial livestock breeding centers to produce required animals for herd growth and fattening b. Establishment of 8 Artificial Insemination outfits c. Establishment of 35,000 smallholder fattening operators to produce well fed animals for slaughter. d. Establishment of 140 commercial feedlot operators

13. EXPECTED OUTCOMES d. Establishment of 140 commercial feedlot operators e. Establishment of 76 standard abattoirs linked to 76 number cold stores. f. Creation of estimated 700,000 jobs in direct employment and spinoff g. Enactment of Livestock Breeding Policy h. Establishment of National Meat Development and Marketing Corporation

14. IS IMPLEMENTATION ON COURSE? • OUTSTANDING IMPLEMENTATION UNDER DR. AKINWUNMI ADESINA • CHANGE OF FOCUS UNDER THE CHANGE MANSTRA. CHANGE FOR SAKE OF CHANGE?

15. IS IMPLEMENTATION ON COURSE? (Cont’d.) • REMOVAL OF FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND PRODUCTION IN 2016 AND REPLACEMENT WITH A VETETRINARY DOCTOR AFTER FORTY YEARS OF STRUGGLE BY ANIMAL SCIENTISTS

16. CORRUPTION • One Mallam Umar (2014), is the general editor of a very comprehensive document on corruption in Nigeria titled: “CORRUPTION IS THE BANE OF NIGERIA’S WOES”.

17. CORRUPTION CONT’D. The about 600 page document is one of the most extensive documentation on corruption available to me as it discusses the subject sector by sector, with practical examples from the works of EFCC, ICPC, some International organizations and success stories in the fight against corruption in Countries like Georgia, Malaysia and Singapore.

18. CORRUPTION CONT’D • The arrival of PMB to Aso Rock in 2015 brought the ugly consequences of corruption to the fore,the most tragic of which was the finding that some of the funds earmarked for combating the Boko Haram insurgency were diverted into private pockets at the expense of the war. A lot of that money was found to have been used as bribery to big wigs and INEC officials in an attempt to rig elections.

19. CORRUPTION CONT’D • As God would have it, there was no positive correlation between the level of money spent and the number of offices won by each party during the 2015 general elections.

20. CORRUPTION CONT’D God made that to happen in order to show Nigerians that corruption does not always pay but it is always used “to steal, to kill and to destroy”.

21. Undoubtedly, the only former Governor to be sentenced to imprisonment is from the opposition party. His crime was for awarding a N167.0 million contract without due process. This Governor served for only 8 months in a State where a governor ruled for seven years and was reported to run the government as a “family enterprise”. He was purported to be so corrupt that the House of Assembly impeached him on corruption charges, involving billions of Naira.

22. To date he has not been convicted by any court of law on any of the charges, possibly because he “belongs” in contrast to the convicted governor. The point being made here is that if the corruption virus has been identified as the number one “theft, killer and destruction disease of the economies of state and good governance, then the fight against it can only succeed if nobody is treated as being above the law, i e no sacred cows.

23. corruption is both bottom up and top down • Not too many Nigerians appreciate the fact that corruption is deep rooted bottom up and top down. • The market woman, that uses the cheating type of standard for buying, and a regular one for selling. • The parents, teachers, pupils and students, that connive to do examination malpractice. • The messengers, who hide peoples’ files, in order to induce a bribe.

24. corruption is both bottom up and top down • The lecturers that force students to buy pellagerised lecture notes. • The common man that is paid pitants / fed with beer / drugs by stinkinly rich politicians to assassinate opponents with an expensive AK47 or induced to steal ballot boxes or destroy election materials during an election (Dafwang, 2014 and 2016). • The illegal police “toll gates” on all Nigerian roads, that is going on right under the eyes of the change mantra Government / politicians.

25. “ROUND PEGS IN SQUARE HOLES” • Putting “round pegs in square holes” is the most priced product of corruption in government appointments which has proven to be very deadly on the political process and on governance in Nigeria (Dafwang, 2014) • Has the most negative impact on an animal farm e.g. of an animal production Institution not too long ago. • Head of any serious institution or Government must not only be technically sound but must have the right mindset for such a person to lead effectively.

26. CORRUPTION CONT’D • ALL PARTIES HAVE ZONING FORMULA FOR ASSIGNMENT OF POLITICAL OFFICES, THE QUOTA SYSTEM FOR APPOINTMENTS AND THE FEDERAL CHARACTER COMMISSION TO POLICE COMPLIANCE BY ALL FEDRAL GOVT. AGENCIES.

27. CORRUPTION CONT’D • THE CONSTITUTIONAL USE OF ZONING /QUOTA SYSTEMS FOR ELECTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS TO POLITICAL OFFICES MAY BE POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT BUT TECHNOCRATICALLY DANGEROUS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE AND THE NATION IN BOTH THE SHORT AND LONG TERMS.

28. CORRUPTION CONT’D • Let it be known that God does not send the Mahatma Ghandis, Martin Luther Kings, Nelson Mandelas’ and the Barak Obamas’ into any part of the world on the basis of zoning Formula or quota system arrangement.

29. CORRUPTION CONT’D • Nigeria runs the risk of losing the “Moses that may lead us out of slavery from Egypt (the present political / economic quagmire) into the promised land of “milk & honey” if we insist on the strict application of quota system and zoning formula for election contests and appointments into political offices at the expense of merit.

30. PASTORALISM AND THE HERDSMEN VERSUS FARMERS CRISES • THE COW THAT IS SETTLED AND MANAGED BY A “HUSBAND MAN” IS AN ASSET TO ANY NATION. • SUPPLIES GOOD QUALITY ANIMAL PROTEIN THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR GOOD HEALTH, PHSICAL AND MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE MAMALIAN KINGDOM. ALL THEIR YOUNG RELY ON MILK FOR SURVIVAL DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF GROWTH. • FOR MAN, ALL BABIES, CHILDREN, WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE, ALL YOUTHS AND EVEN THE AGED, ANIMAL PROTEIN CONSUMTION IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY.

31. Table 4. Comparison of Animal Protein intake and some health indicators in the USA and Nigeria between 2007/2009 (FAO).

32. THE DANGERS OF NOMADIC CATTLE REARING. • It eats up any grass it comes across; crops are more nutritious than regular grass so the animal will prefer to eat up crops unless it is prevented from doing so. The nomadic Fulani herdsman has to move from North to South between September to December as the availability of natural grass and forage plans recede from North to South. The reverse journey takes place from April to July.

33. THE DANGERS OF NOMADIC CATTLE REARING. • Encroachment into farmers’ fields by cattle has been the major cause of farmer – herder conflicts that have caused massive loss of lives and destruction of property across the Middle Belt in particular and in many other parts of Nigeria in general.

34. THE DANGERS OF NOMADIC CATTLE REARING. Cont’d • The production capacity of the cattle is drastically reduced because of the suffering being experienced by the animals themselves. While a modern day Friesian cow produces up to forty Liters of milk per day, the nomadic Fulani cow produces three Liters of milk per day at best. Similarly, the number of calves a cow can produce and their survival rate is drastically reduced. The animals are also subjected to all manner of health hazards because of inadequate access to Veterinary health care by virtue of the nomadic lifestyle.

35. THE DANGERS OF NOMADIC CATTLE REARING. Cont’d • A common feature of cattle movement during the dry season is the heavy dust bowls often seen following the cattle trail. The extent of damage to soils, and the extent of soil erosion caused by cattle movement have not been documented, but circumstantial evidence shows that many cattle routes not already taken up by farmers have become streams or erosion gullies. The extent to which deforestation in the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria and desertification in the North has been aided and abetted by cattle movements across the terrains is not known. •  The nuisance value of cattle roaming about on intra and inter-city highways, including Abuja the Federal Capital, is an embarrassment to the people and Government of Nigeria. Roaming cattle have even been found on Airport tarmacs!

36. THE DANGERS OF NOMADIC CATTLE REARING. Cont’d The nomadic Fulani man has to move along with the cattle in order to herd them away from farmers’ fields. This nomadic lifestyle makes the Fulani man his own worst enemy, not to talk of his relationship with others, which can only be friendly when conditions facilitate the free grazing of his animals. Deprive the herdsman of a grazing area and the worst comes out. Fellow Nigerians, is it not pathetic that whole families, men, women with babies on their back, and children as young as five years old have to trek on foot from Maiduguri to Lagos, deprived of education and other social amenities accruing from the dividends of democracy? Can you imagine the extent of torture from sunshine, rainfall, dust, insect bites, diseases and other tangible and intangible environmental hazards on a daily basis?

38. THE NOMADIC LIFE

39. FULANI WOMAN IN TRANSIT

41. DANGERS OF NOMADIC CATTLE REARING • COWS PREFER CROPS TO NATURAL PASTURE • ENCROACHMENT INTO FARMERS FARMS LEADING TO HERDSMEN AND FARMER CLASHES • REDUCTION IN YIELDS OF MILK, MEAT AND ALL BY-PRODUCTS • SUFFERING OF FULANI FAMILIES AND THEIR ANIMALS UNDER SUN, RAIN, INSECTS, LACK OF EDUCATION, HEALTH CHALENGES, ACCIDENTS ETC.

42. DANGERS OF NOMADIC CATTLE REARING • DESRTIFICATION, DEAFFORESTATION AND SOIL EROSION • PUBLIC NUSANCE ON ROADS, CITIES AND EVEN AIRPORT TARMACS • NEO COLONIALISM

46. THE DANGERS OF NOMADIC CATTLE REARING. Cont’d • Occasional accidents caused by cattle crossing highways are a horrific sight that may be littered with blood and dead bodies of man and animals. •  It is possible that some Jihad (the Boko Haram type of Jihad) minded Fulani or their sponsors are capitalizing on the honorable virtues of the cow, hit and run fighting skills of the Fulani herdsman and his ability to settle in a hostile environment to capture and colonize land in order to achieve an ethno-religious objective which was done effectively in the history of Nigeria..

47. THE DANGERS OF NOMADIC CATTLE REARING. Cont’d This, I believe, is the most dangerous aspect of the cow and the major reason why some people are vehemently opposed to the ANTI OPEN-ENDED GRAZING Law (i.e. laws restricting the animals to one location) which is professionally very friendly to both man and animal. Politicians in the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria to note for the purpose of advocacy and Legislation.

48. REASONS WHY THE FULANI DO NOT SETTLE ON GRAZING RESERVES - 1 1. NOMADISM IS A WAYOF LIFEfor the cattle Fulani.Baba Othman Ngelzarma, the National Secretary General, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) …. thinks the government will have to do more to woo the nomads to the idea of grazing reserves “It’s a beautiful idea, but it cannot happen immediately.

49. REASONS WHY THE FULANI DO NOT SETTLE ON GRAZING RESERVES - 1 Roaming is part of the culture of the nomad, and for them to depart from a culture they inherited will be difficult”. Cited from:Ladduga: The ugly face of Nigeria’s ‘best’ grazing reserve. (Daily trust: 1/09/2015)

50. REASONS WHY THE FULANI DO NOT SETTLE ON GRAZING RESERVES - 2 2.LAND USE. “It needs to be understood that Pastoralist (except of recent), have no political or civic attachment to land.  To the pastoralist, pasture is what he cares for, and land like air and rains cannot be owned.This could be the reason why the primary transhumant pastoralists in West Africa;