The deputy national director of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Gidado Siddiki has lamented that real pastoralists were being excluded from the policy formulation for the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development.
In a statement he made available to newsmen in Awka, Anambra State yesterday (Saturday) the Sarkin Fulani of Awka, Anambra State urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene to guarantee that appropriate policies were developed for the ministry.
The MACBAN leader alleged that some Abuja-based politicians have rather hijacked the Ministry, and, excluded “real pastorialists communities from the planning and decision-making processes of the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development in Nigeria”.
Siddiki particularly stated that concerns were being expressed by “real pastorialists.”
Siddiki in the statement said, “We are beginning to see a pattern where individuals and organizations based in Abuja—many without grassroots membership—dominate the conversation on livestock reform.
“These actors frequently appear in meetings and on social media, claiming to speak for pastorialists, while the actual pastoral communities remain unaware of these programmes.”
He warned that unless the implementation of the ministry’s programmes, particularly the transition to modern ranching, included proper sensitisation and involvement of pastorialists, the initiative might face the same fate as the abandoned grazing reserve projects of the past.
“If the goal is truly to promote peaceful coexistence and sustainable livestock management, then herders themselves must be informed, educated, and actively involved. It is unjust to prohibit someone from practicing a livelihood they understand without first equipping them with the knowledge and support to transition to a new system,” he added.
He called on the federal government to establish a grassroots outreach committee under the Ministry of Livestock. This committee, he said should engage directly with herding communities across the country, educate them on the principles and benefits of ranching, and communicate clear timelines for the transition away from open grazing.
“The majority of Nigerian pastoralists neither understand nor practice ranching. Without proper education, awareness, and inclusion, the ministry’s objectives may not be achieved, and the pastoralist communities may suffer as a result,” he warned.
Siddiki who is also the national coordinator, Movement for Equity in Nigeria.(MEN), while commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating the ministry, reaffirmed his full support for the Livestock Ministry and urged the government to ensure the process remains inclusive, transparent, and focused on genuine stakeholder engagement.
He, however , described the ministry as a historic step toward resolving the persistent conflict between nomadic pastoralists and local farmers across the country.
