Northern Nigeria group urges FG to rename Livestock Ministry

A group, Growth and Development of Northern Nigeria (GDNN), has appealed to the Federal Government to rename the Ministry of Livestock Development to make it more effective.

Mallam Haruna Buhari, Acting Secretary of the Public Policy Advocacy Unit of GDNN, made this call on Wednesday at a news conference in Abuja.

He welcomed the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development, but noted that it fell short of integrating dairy development, which is essential to make it complete and comprehensive.

“We welcome with anxiety and commend the Federal Government on the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development.

“We, however, note that it fell short of integrating dairy development to make it complete, comprehensive and most effective,” he said.

Buhari invited the government’s attention to the need to scale up the ministry’s mandate and rename it the Ministry for Livestock and Dairy Development.

“The organisation has been closely following the visa restrictions imposed on Nigerians by the UAE authorities.

“The restrictions have been in place for longer than necessary due to the misbehaviour of some Nigerians,” he said.

He described the development as an infringement on the fundamental human rights of innocent, law-abiding Nigerians and called on the government to address the issue.

He recommended that the Federal Government should request the UAE authorities to grant visa-on-arrival to Nigerian citizens.

According to him, particularly Nigerians holding multiple-entry visas, especially those from the USA, Canada, Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He said: “We believe that this option will provide relief to genuine travellers into the UAE, especially those that have either genuine employments, or are prospective students, medical referrals, businesses, tourism or transit stop-overs.”

He noted that this would be a significant step toward resolving the issue and promoting the well-being of Nigerian citizens.

Buhari also noted that the Solid Minerals Mining Sector would benefit significantly from being exposed to the same model as the oil and gas sector.

He said the Joint-Venture Cash Calls Model would ensure that host communities become part owners and ultimate beneficiaries of knowledge and technology, as well as beneficiaries of the investment proceeds.

This, he said, would bring sanity to the sector, which is currently in a state of disarray.

He called on northern governors to syndicate a single loan facility through crowd funding, which would enable them to complete the abandoned Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano-Katsina Gas Pipeline Project.

Buhari also urged them to invest in Digital Transformation Planning (DTP) through crowd funding opportunities available in the financial market.

He stated: “We call on Northern governors to syndicate a single loan facility, through crowd funding, that enables them as collective stakeholders interested in the economic growth and development of the North.

“We further call on Northern governors to set in process an effort through crowd funding opportunities available in the Financial Market to syndicate a common facility to Invest in Digital Transformation Planning (DTP).”

The GDNN was inaugurated in October 2017 as an association of people in northern Nigeria who are concerned about the region’s development and challenges.

Its current Caretaker Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Halilu, has been working toward promoting and facilitating investment in the North, and improving the well-being of the region’s people.

The organisation’s major objective is to promote and facilitate investment in the North, as well as improve the well-being of the people of the region.