Foreign Affairs, CBN pallies NAPRI on Livestock

 Leader of NALIT committee, Prof. Clarence Pakpini extending hand shake with PS, FMFA, Amb Sola Enikanlaiye..

The National Livestock Training Programme (NALIT), a Public-Private sectors driven model to upscale livestock productivity, under the coordination of National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) has received a positive nod from Federal Ministry of Foreign Affair (FMFA) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to achieving market space expansion of the sub sector to the global world through engagement of the youths in capacity building towards standard products of fresh milk, meat and feeds production.

At the close of the meeting, the Permanent Secretary (PS) FMFA Ambassador Sola Enikanlaiye ordered that a implementation joint committee between the ministry and NALIT be formed to expedite action of commitment to the project just as he commended the visiting initiative, saying the composition of the involved stakeholders in the programme is convincing as being able to proffer solution to incessant conflict between herdsmen and farmers, and at the same time help in repositioning the face of livestock to more economic viability, which he stated was the vision of President Mohammudu Buhari to using agriculture as a tool of economic diversification from oil and gas. 

Ambassador Enikanlaiye pointed that Foreign Affair Ministry is very strategic to every aspect of government’s policies, being the nation’s window to the rest of the world, pointing good best practice (GAP) from other countries can be well copied through directives to all the country’s missions saying “the ministry has launched global best practice project and have asked all our mission abroad to isolate two or three best practices including agriculture, and report back to the government. This is because there is nothing we are doing in Nigeria that other countries have not done very well as we can learn from them and even replicate”

He however promised that the ministry would be ever ready to have partnership with NALIT towards achieving training of our youths to the development of livestock in the country added saying the message would be communicated to the President.

The NALIT delegation led by NAPRI Executive Director, Prof. C.A Lakpini had presented the objective of the programme towards livestock devlopment as speaker after speaker in the visit wanted the full support of the FMRA towards the establishment of five billion naira training centre for animals productivity that will be domiciled at the Institute for coordination to building capacity for youths in terms of livestock production, processing and marketing with special training for feeds provision to mitigate conflict occasioned by food scarcity to animals.

At CBN, the delegation was welcomed by the Deputy Director, Development Finance, Mr. Sani Mohammed together with his financial team members where briefing on the purpose of the visit was given by Prof. Lakpini as promise was also given that the message would be conveyed to the Governor, Mr. Emefiele for immediate action.

The Deputy Director advised that youth must be organized into cooperatives, and there should be ready market by off takers who can apply for loan finance through their banks.

Among the delegation is NAPRI team, National Directorate Employment (NDE), The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), National Sheep and Goat Association (NASHGODAN, Youth Assembly Cooperative Society of Nigeria (YACSON) Cattle Breeder and Dealers Association of Nigeria (CBDAN), Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Fodder Green Technologies Limited and the media.