Farmer-Herder Crisis, Livestock Dev’t Top Agenda As Ex-INEC Chair Jega, Mustapha Storm UNILORIN

The persistent crisis between farmers and herders, alongside broader challenges in Nigeria’s livestock sector will come under national spotlight on Monday, June 30, 2025, as the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) hosts a high-level policy discourse led by a former INEC chairman and Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Livestock Reform, Professor Attahiru Jega.

The event, which is part of the Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture Series organised by the university’s Faculty of Social Sciences, will also honour Distinguished Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Production Services.

According to the organisers, the lecture will serve as a platform to examine Nigeria’s complex and evolving livestock policy landscape, particularly the unresolved herder-farmer conflicts, the need for sustainable ranching systems, and the growing urgency to modernise the livestock value chain as a pathway to food security, economic growth, and national stability.

Professor Jega, who also serves as Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative on Livestock Reform, is expected to outline the Tinubu administration’s blueprint for reforming the livestock sector, tackling environmental degradation linked to open grazing, and introducing structured interventions aimed at reducing rural conflicts and enhancing productivity.

In a statement issued by the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Adedoyin Jolaade Omede, the 2025 edition of the lecture is both timely and symbolic. She said it was designed not only to provoke critical national reflection on agriculture and rural security, but also to celebrate Senator Mustapha for his policy-driven leadership in the National Assembly.

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“In just two years at the Senate, Senator Mustapha has repositioned the Agriculture Committee as a hub of stakeholder engagement and legislative innovation. His work has focused on rural development, food systems, and sectoral reform,” the statement read.

Professor Omede noted that the Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture Series was created to bridge the gap between scholarship and governance, especially in areas that directly impact the welfare and stability of Nigerian communities.

The lecture will be hosted by the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, and is expected to draw participation from across the country—including policymakers, development partners, traditional leaders, researchers, students, and private sector actors.

The Presidential Initiative on Livestock Reform, which Prof. Jega coordinates, has been widely regarded as a key part of the federal government’s broader strategy to curb insecurity and promote inclusive development. The initiative is tasked with developing structured ranching systems, upgrading grazing infrastructure, and easing tensions over land use in affected regions.

This year’s lecture is expected to serve not only as a think tank for new ideas but also as a national sounding board for solutions to some of Nigeria’s most pressing agricultural and security challenges.