The Interview Editors
Adamawa, Plateau and Nasarawa are the first three in the country to implement the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) of the federal government.
According to the Ebonyi State Governor, Dr. Dave Umahi, the three states have been asked to submit their programmes and cost implications.
Umahi is the chairman of the sub-committee raised by the National Economic Council to look into ways of finding lasting solutions to the frequent clashes between farmers and herders in the country.
The NLTP is the NEC’s approved plan to address the problem.
In the implementation plan, only states willing to contribute land for grazing reserves and other facilities will participate.
The NLTP is not compulsory for all states, but for only willing states.
The sub-committee had met with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa ahead of Thursday’s (tomorrow) meeting of the NEC for the month of February.
The committee is expected to brief the full session of NEC on progress tomorrow.
When asked what was discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, Umahi told State House Correspondents that much progress had been achieved toward getting the three states to launch the pilot stage.
He stated, “It is just in furtherance of our committee’s programmes toward implementation of the NLTP of NEC. We are getting there.
“We have pencilled down three states that we have evaluated; Adamawa, Plateau and Nasarawa. So, we are going ahead to ask them to submit their programmes and costing for implementation.”
Umahi explained that the NLTP, when implemented, would reduce the tension between farmers and herders to a large extent.
He added, “The expectation is that we have clear mandates. One is that this programme is going to resolve to a very large extent, the farmer-herder conflict.
“So, if we revive some of the grazing reserves, especially in the North, for willing states, we are going to see this conflict come down. There will also be a modern way of cow rearing for greater benefits. These are things we expect to see.”
He disclosed that stakeholders in the willing states had agreed to the implementation of the NLTP.
The governor added, “I have told you the three states that have grazing reserves and we have spoken to people in the grazing reserves.
“We have spoken to the traditional rulers, the district heads and the population within those locations and they are willing to go with the programme of the NLTP.
“In this programme, you are going to have some farmers that are within the grazing reserves doing their farming and the herders also doing theirs. Of course there is going to be a demarcation.
“The emphasis remains that it is the willing states. Even if you have grazing reserves like some states in the north and the state is not willing to key into it, it is not compulsory.”
