THE conclusion of the whole livestock matter here is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can get better rating without involving media blitz if he can harness the human capital and indeed the intellectual power in Nigeria to address the challenges people are agonising about. And here is the thing, the choice of a disciplined intellectual, Professor Attahiru M. Jega from inception of the Livestock Development Agenda till the present has enhanced credibility and knowledge development that is about to change the narrative about wealth and job creation in Africa’s most significant country, Nigeria.
Having participated in all the deliberations, fact finding and collation of all reports, I have no doubt that Nigeria can regain its paradise lost if our political leaders at all levels can freeze politics after elections and face serious governance by headhunting the brightest and the best Nigerians from inside and outside the political parties.
It is in public interest to do so and here is why: the animal science, veterinary medicine, extension services and agricultural economics scholars that have produced (by their own reckoning) one of the best scientific, data-powered documents in livestock development could have remained in their silos but for the critical thinking that led to their choice by a state governor who looked into the seeds of time and fished them out for the national service President Tinubu has been enjoying. Two of the scholars, Professors Attahiru Jega, Yahaya M. Kuta and the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha are in the presidential team to the current COP29: Global Climate Action – Climate Change Conference 2024 in Brazil.
The paradigm shift in Livestock sector that some public intellectuals and technocrats have revived is what our leaders should learn from at this time. They should not play politics with the power that knowledge can give them in the public space. The Livestock Ministry is lucky to have had a solid database and well-documented blueprint of deliverables. All that is needed now is a discipline of getting things done – execution. There is a framework for that as documented in a public service record during the Obasanjo’s second coming (1999-2007). There is a White Paper on consolidated Shonekan- Edozien reports, which birthed the consolidated salary structure in federal public service in the country. The White Paper approves a “Rare Skill Salary Structure” in the public service.
The peculiar salary structure that only very few have used empowers the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) to attract experts from the private sector without disrupting the extant salary structure. What this means is that experts from even the oil and gas industry or blue chips can be headhunted if such skilled workers and technocrats can’t be found in the public service. The takeaway from here is that there is room for the new Ministry of Livestock Development to obtain presidential permission to recruit animal scientists, veterinary doctors, extension services and agricultural economics experts, among other scientists and experts that can solidify the infrastructure of the new ministry of livestock development. That is the only way the superstructure of livestock development can be reliable.
As I was researching this piece, I saw this quote from the President of African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, unarguably one of the best Agriculture Ministers Nigeria has ever had. The quote:
‘…The future millionaires and billionaires of Africa will not be coming from oil and gas sector, they will be coming from the agriculture sector. But I want African countries to be looking at agriculture as a business, not as a way of life. Nobody smokes gas, nobody drinks oil, but everybody eats food. So food is critical and that is what Africa has a comparative advantage in…’
Dr. Adesina, now emerging as the most successful President of the African Development Bank, (AfDB) now in journals of Development Banking as the most successful Development Bank in global context, isn’t a stranger to the agriculture sector. He was reportedly headhunted for the Jonathan administration as Agriculture Minister by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Until his appointment as Agriculture Minister in 2011, he was Vice President of Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, (AGRA). He was elected President of AfDB in 2015 and re-elected a second term in 2020. This is a good example of the quality of human capital required by leaders to drive human progress and development.
Dr. Adesina the 8th President of the African Development Bank Group is a globally renowned development economist and agricultural development expert, with more than 30 years of international experience. A bold reformer, as Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria from 2011-2015, Dr. Adesina turned the agriculture sector of Nigeria around within four years. Under his tenure, Nigeria ended 40 years of corruption in the fertiliser sector. That was the attraction to President Buhari and others in May 2015. A firm believer in private sector-led growth, Adesina, radically changed the perception of agriculture in Nigeria from that of subsistence to a viable business that successfully attracted $5.6 billion in private sector investments.
The Adesina example of public intellectuals in governance is one of the reasons the Livestock Ministry should not be filled with poorly educated anyhow graduates the politicians have always supplied the Nigerian bureaucracies since 1999. The quality of members of the Jega Committee on Livestock Reforms too should reflect in the foundation of the purpose-driven Ministry of Livestock Development that the nation expects to be a difference maker, in this regard. Let’s conclude with just the bio data of some of the public intellectuals and technocrats who are currently shaping the revival of livestock development through the Presidential Committee.
Professor Attahiru M. Jega, current Pro-Chancellor, Usman DanFodiyo, University, Sokoto, was chairman of INEC,. He was Vice-Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano, He was the Chairman of the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria, (2023) He is the Co-Chairman of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee (2024); Professor Yahaya Mohammed Kuta, former Secretary to the Government of Niger State, a product of the University of Ibadan, is a Professor of Agricultural Extension and Development Communication, University of Ibadan; a member of the University of Maiduguri Governing Council, coordinated the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria (2023) and he is the Secretary of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee; Professor Placid Chike Nwosu, former Deputy Governor of Imo State, an animal scientist of repute, was the first Vice-Chancellor Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, first President, Nigerian Institute of Animal Science; Professor Eustace Ayemere Iyayi, Humboldt, Fulbright and Royal Society Scholar is a Professor of Animal Science; a former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, is the immediate past Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Institute of Animal Science.; Professor Demo Kalla, is a Professor of Animal Science at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi; He is the Focal Lead, Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office, Technical Lead on Climate Smart Dairy Value Chains and the ATBU-TET-Fund Centre of Excellence on Food Security; Professor Andrew Babatunde Omojola, a Professor of Animal Science, is the current Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan; a former two –term Director of UI Teaching and Research Farm; Professor Nkiru Meludu Theresa, President of Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria is a Professor of Food and Nutrition Security at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Professor Abdullahi Mustapha, Director General/CEO of National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), is a Professor of Bioinorganic Chemistry.
He is a member of Nigerian Institute of Chartered Chemists and Royal Society of Chemistry, U.K; Aishatu Abubakar Baju, who holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from ABU, Zaria and another Ph.D from University of Plymouth, U.K is an Assistant Inspector General of Police; Professor Olorunfemi Cornelius Jegede, a Professor of Veterinary Parasitology and Former Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja is a statutory Member Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Professor Joshua Edet Udoh, a Professor of Agricultural Economics, University of Uyo, has over 23 years of teaching, research and leadership experiences within and outside the University; He is a member of Nigerian Economic Society and Nigerian Association of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Society of Nigeria; Professor Abdullahi Muhammad Yau, a pastoralist who holds B. Sc; M.Sc; PGDE, P.hD degrees from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom is a Cybersecurity Expert who specialises in AI Algorithms in the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA); Dr. Mustapha Ayodele Popoola, a seasoned expert in Animal production and biotechnology holds a Ph.D in Reproductive Physiology with specialisation in genetic resources management and another Ph.D in Project Management from the Commonwealth University.
He currently serves as Special Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security; Dr. Rabe Isa Mani, who holds B.Sc; M.Sc; Ph.D from New Mexico University U.S; University of Ibadan, and University of Melbourne, Australia, all in Animal Science, retired as a Director at the Federal ministry of Agriculture, served the FAO of the United Nations for 10 years; Dr. Saleh Bashayi Momale who holds a Ph.D in Geography and M.Sc in Land Resources from B.U.K, is currently Executive Vice Chairman, Kano State Peace Commission; he has served as Technical Adviser, Livestock to the Minister of Agriculture (2019-2021) was a senior lecturer at the Centre for Dry-land Agriculture, B.U.K; Dr. Junaid Yakubu Muhammad, a Veterinary Public Health Specialist has academic background and expertise in livestock disease prevention and management. He has managed several World Bank and ISOB-funded projects and was Kano State Agricultural Authority; Dr. Salim Musa Umar, founder and Chairman of Farmers and Herders Initiative for Peace and Development is an alumnus of Equitas Human Rights Training, University of Montreal, Canada; a former Special Adviser to two former Governors o Plateau State on Community Relations once serves as Nigeria Advisor to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue on Farmers and Herders in Nigeria; Dr. Aliyu Usman Tilde who hold a Ph.D in Agronomy and a Law degree has been an ardent breeder of livestock and currently among leading milk processors in Nigeria.
Others include Uthman Muhammad, former Nigerian National Representative to OPEC, former GM, and Head NNPC London Office, is an engineer and FNSE. He has served in several capacities as Chairman of Herders Relocation to Existing Grazing Reserves; Jibrin Yunus once served as an Assistant Livestock Superintendent in Borno State Ministry of Animals and Forest Resources (1990-1991), served as an Immigration Officer in Internal Affairs Ministry, a former Secretary Alhayah Cattle Breeders Association (1999-2005, Caretaker Chairman All Farmers Association of Nigeria; Mrs Winifred Ifeoma Lai-Solarin, is a seasoned livestock policy, programme, planning and management expert with 34 years of national and international experience; currently a Director in the Ministry of Livestock Development, she was Director of Animal Husbandry in the old Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. She is a doctoral student of Animal Science and Malam Aminu Murtala Nyako, is the Managing Director International Farms Limited, Yola, Adamawa State. A first-class graduate of Economics and Finance of the Pennsylvania State University, and M.Sc in public policy from Georgetown University, U.S; Aminu pioneered the Sebore Agro-Industrial Free trade Zone. This is how our leaders should freeze politics and face governance fairly with citizens who have knowledge, integrity and courage to deliver public service to the people.
- Oloja is former editor of The Guardian newspaper and his column, Inside Stuff, runs on the back page of the newspaper on Sundays. The column appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Mondays.