President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to resolving the persistent clashes between farmers and herders, which have claimed numerous lives across Nigeria.
Violence over access to land and water between farmers and herders in various states has jeopardized food production. This conflict, compounded by a decade-long insurgency by Islamist extremists in the northeast, resulted in 3,641 deaths between 2016 and 2018, according to an Amnesty International report—the closest to an official casualty figure.
Tinubu emphasized that his administration’s focus on attracting both international and local investments into the livestock sector will help end the farmer-herder crisis, alleviate hunger and poverty, and promote economic prosperity.
He made these remarks in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the signing of a Letter of Intent between the Nigerian Government and JBS S.A., one of the world’s top three largest meat processing companies.
“What we are doing right now is that we are solving a problem that afflicted humanity in that part of Africa, clashes between farmers and migrating cows that have caused some life and bloodshed when there is a modern, civilized way to solve those problems and even bring a successful economy out of it,” Tinubu was quoted in a Friday statement by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.
“We are trying to turn a situation of tragedy, hopelessness into economic opportunity, see through problems and see the opportunity that is involved in it.”
Tinubu urged the company to see the considerable potential in what he called the $2.5billion livestock investment opportunities in Nigeria, especially with its huge population and tap into it, given JBS S.A’s globally recognized expertise in the area of guaranteeing food security.
“We’ve heard so much about you in terms of the reputation, and we believe in the partnership we are forging today.
“Food security is extremely important. As we talk right now, there is hunger. However, there is huge hope. And you are one of those hopes that we are looking at,” he added.
President Tinubu assured JBS executives that Nigeria is ready to collaborate with their company, promising favorable returns on their investments.
Before his visit to Brazil, the President had tasked a team of Nigerian officials and private sector representatives with leveraging the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio. The team conducted a study tour of São Paulo to explore opportunities in livestock development, meat processing, and the advancement of seed development and multiplication for essential grains.