ANIMAL HUSBANDRY IN NIGERIA-PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

According to some sociologists, one of the ways to classify a society is by considering the preponderance of livestocks in such society. In other words, the more livestocks that roam around in in such society, the more primitive.

This particular system of classification has become irrefutable in today's God's earth. In that, the less developed countries carry out extensive system of animal husbandry.Nigeria is particularly popular in this area not only in the number of animals that are roaming the country but also in the violence associated with such trade.

Primitive societies struggle with base things of life such as food, security, regulations and management. These not only hinder development but sometimes cause a nation to move in a reversed direction, ultimately leading to all sorts of economic ills such as low per capita income, low human development index, low life expectancy, low literacy level, and so on. Nigeria is guilty of almost all indices relating to economic and human development and in some cases, cannot be placed upon equal footing with even the least countries.

Domestication of animals is probably as old as man himself; and could be of immense benefit to him if properly managed. Husbandry of large polygastric animals are majorly controlled by the Shua Arabs and the migratory normads in Nigeria. The sector is almost informal with with little or no revenue generation to the government and zero regulation. Yet, there is no other economic or commercial activity that causes more economic and psychological woes to the nation than animal husbandry. Money, in multiple billions as well as lives has been lost to the uncontrolled activities in the sector. The trend continues unabated across goverments and regimes; every government wishes the problem away or outrightly ignores it. Hatred breeds anger, anger breeds attacks, attacks breed reprisals ( which are product of lawlessness and injustice) and thus, the cycle continues.

SOLUTION TO ANIMAL HUSBANDRY PROBLEMS IN NIGERIA
1. COMMITTEE: the federal government should inaugurate a committee of intellectuals to look into the system of animal husbandry in Nigeria.

2. ASSOCIATION: the committee will recognize one or two associations whose activities are fully regulated by ministry of agriculture.

3. LEGISLATION: government will come up with comprehensive law(s) that will regulate animal husbandry in Nigeria.

4. IDENTICATION: the regulators will have forensic database of all herdsfolks in the country (both Nigerian non Nigerian). This will be done in collaboration with the identified associations. This will help to discover perpetrators.
5. REGISTRATION: the identified herdsfolks will form themselves into a group of 50s and 100s and register as a cooperative society.

6. RANCHING: each cooperative society will apply through the regulator in collaboration with the association to the state government of the state she wish to operate in for a permit. If granted, the federal, state, and local governments will operate a special account from which funds will be used to establish the ranch. Thus the ranch will be a public property of which the state reserve the right to revoke the permit for overriding public interest (provided she refund the money of the other stakeholders).

This will be done until every herd owner is absorbed into the ranch system. Subsequent herd owners will register with the cooperative of their choice before forwarding their forensic information to the regulator. Visiting herd owners from other countries will absorbed by the association and provided temporary residential status. The regulator and the association will incorporate them into a ranch on temporary basis for a fee.

7. SECURITY/ENFORCEMENT : the security agents will enforce this. In addition, the association will maintain a guard unit whose function is to ensure that there is no roaming herdperson in the country. Every ranch will be provide with security.

8. FURTHER IDENTIFICATION: each member of a ranch will have i.d card bearing his name, cooperative, association, age, state/country of origin, state of residence, for further identification.

9. REVENUE: every ranch will have a Secretary that carries out proper recording of the ranch's activities. The regulator will from time to time confirm the veracity of such records. This will hasten taxation and revenue collection


PROBABLE PROBLEMS
Difficulties in obtaining normads' information or blunt refusal to participate
Religious dimensions
Refusal to grant permit by state governments or insensible revocation of permit under the guise of "overriding public interest"
Financial problems
Unapproriate, prejudiced or nepotic regulations
Doctoring of records

BENEFITS
Reduction/elimination of conflicts
Proper regulation of animal husbandry
Reduction in crime
Easy education of the normads and their children
Proper production, processing and distribution of animal products
Value addition and income generation
Improvement in level and standard of living
facilitates foreign exchange earnings
Taxation
Research purposes.

Author: Maxon S. Ehinmowo
Contact: 0802927519, greatmaxon@gmail.com
Location: Lagos

The States and Local Governments should do all you have recommended. Nothing, except assist with Funds, concerns the F.G.

i am hoping this makes frontpage though