GODWIN OBASEKI, Edo State Governor, south-south Nigeria, met President Buhari, yesterday, at the presidential villa, Abuja. He said he was at the villa to seek for funds from the president to enable the State government assist those interested in setting up Cattle Ranching business in the State with such funds.
Nigeria’s northern and southern governors have been on the same page, that open grazing was obsolete and no longer sustainable in modern Nigeria. Northern states governors took the initiative and made request to Buhari’s government for funds to establish ranches.
As at August 2021, Buhari’s government, according to reports, has approved and disbursed N24 billion for ranching to states in the country. The Federal Capital Territory and some states were already beneficiaries of government’s ranching grants. They received N6 billion each.
Among the states that received government’s funding for ranching are Katsina, Yobe, Ebonyi, FTC. And more states are in the process of receiving approval for payment for ranching. And Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has joined the quest for funds from the government to fund ranching in the State.
AFTER MEETING BUHARI, Obaseki told state house journalists, that most states in the south had enacted anti-open grazing law, as agreed. But Edo State was yet to enact its own anti-open grazing law. He said his government would ensure that the law was enforceable before enacting it.
Obaseki said he told the president that the people of Edo State, resolved that ranching was private business. Because it is an expensive enterprise, the federal government should provide funds to interested persons, under the National Livestock transformation Programme.
In addition, he said: “I informed him about some amounts of money some federal agencies were owing the Edo State government, and he promised to address them to ensure that the sums of money are paid. Those were the things I came to discuss with the President”.
President Buhari’s intervention on retrieving Edo artifacts from Europe and other countries, was also discussed. Obaseki said he commended the president for his intervention; and assured him that the state would continue to support his administration’s efforts to retrieve the artifacts from Europe.
