A former aide to ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, has expressed doubts about the necessity of creating a Ministry of Livestock Development as proposed by President Bola Tinubu.
Akande made the remarks in an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
Akande suggested that the existing Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development might be sufficient to implement the national livestock development plan.
He said, “The plans were endorsed way back in 2019. Some amount has been spent for the final scheme. We don’t know how far that has gone. But on the face value of it, any attempts to implement these plans should be commended.
“As to the question of whether we need a full-fledged ministry to implement these plans at the time the Tinubu administration itself is talking on how to rationalize this MDA, we have to wait and look at the recommendations for the creation of another ministry. We already have the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development which might be the right vehicle.
“Part of the problems which have been articulated regarding the implementation of the plan beside what I know to be insufficient political will in the past, is the problem of the right expertise in terms of implementing it. That is the reason why they are talking about a ministry. But I am not sure if we need a ministry. Based on what I know, I am not sufficiently certain that we will need a ministry to implement this. But let us wait.
“The national livestock development plan, if implemented is going to solve the problem of herder/farmer clashes and modernize the livestock industry in Nigeria.”
