Nigeria losses $14b annually on farmers-herders crisis, says Presidential Aide

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Agriculture and Head of (PACE) Secretariat, Dr. Andrew Kwasari has said over $14 billion is annually lost to farmers- herders conflict, just as 22 states have shown interest of participation in the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP). Dr. Andrew Kwasari disclosed this in a paper titled ‘’ Positioning the Nigerian Livestock for 21 Century’’ at a recently concluded summit organized in Abuja by Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN) and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).

Dr. Kwasari added that 22 states have indicated their interest in NLTP to the National Economic Council (NEC) with ten states already set up their livestock transformation offices in readiness for the program.

According to him ‘’the farmers-herders clashes have cost the country to loss the sum of $14billion annually, but notwithstanding the Federal Government in collaboration with states have begun the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP)2019–2028. 22 states have sent letters of expression of interest to the office of the Chairman of the National Economic Council and Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo with 10 states set up the states livestock transformation office’’

The SSA to the president pointed as part of the implementation strategy of the NLTP that  four states have been pencilled down for grazing reserves take off, saying  Nasarawa, Plateau, Adamawa and Kaduna were among.