By Abubakar Muhammad (9NEWS NIGERIA, MAIDUGURI)
Borno State ministry of Livestock Development has started its journey into the livestock industry with a mega project.
The project, Ngarannam Livestock Improvement Ranch Settlement, is the first major project executed by the ministry, after its establishment few months ago.
It was commissioned on Saturday by the state governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, at Ngaranam, a community in Mafa Local Government Area of the state.
The minister of Livestock Development Idi Mukhtar Maiha, Commissioning the Ngarannam livestock ranch
The event marks an important step on the development of livestock in the state.
The facility comprises housing estates, education and health facilities, veterinary services, dairy and beef breeds upgrading centers.
Others are pasture development centers, milk collection centers, water resources, market, and security outposts.
The facility is also the first of three RUGA centers located on Grazing Reserves across the state’s three senatorial districts.
According to Governor Zulum, the facility is expected to benefit 461 households from 18 communities in Mafa Local Government Area.
Each household is supported with a bull, a sheep, and a goat to support livestock production in the locality.
Other support includes 25kg of rice, 25kg of maize, 15kg of beans, clothes, mattresses, mats, and blankets, along with N50,000 for each head of household and N20,000 for their wife.
The governor emphasized that the project aims to promote peaceful coexistence, economic growth, and reduce rural-urban migration.
Emphasizing on the lucrative potentials of livestock businesses, Zulum called on multinational commercial livestock investors to partner with the state government on the sector.
Livestocks at Ngarannam livestock ranch, Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State
He also expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for its support and partnership in the project, noting that it has been a key player in all livestock programs across the country.
The federal government has been investing on ideas for the return of previous livestock ranches and modernizing old reserves and structures as a way to improve productivity in the sector, and Governor Zulum is now walking the talk.
In his remarks, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, commended Governor Zulum on the commissioning of the project.
He said that the federal government is commitment to supporting Borno State’s development initiatives, particularly in the livestock sector.
He noted that the project aligns with the Federal Government’s vision for transforming the livestock sector into a more efficient and productive avenue for economic growth and national prosperity.
