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Livestock sector contributes 30% of rural economy, 10% GDP – Minister
The Federal Government has said the Livestock sector contributes about 30 per cent of the rural economy and 10 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the agricultural sector.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, stated this at the closing of the technical workshop on validation of the Pastoral Livestock Marketing Situation Analysis on Friday in Abuja.
The workshop was also on developing the implementation plan for the African Pastoral Markets Development (APMD) key interventions.
The workshop was organised by the African Union Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) Project on the development of African Pastoral Markets.
It targeted defined trading corridors that would involve participation of Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, Chad and Cameroon that are important livestock trading partners in Nigeria.
Maiha expressed optimism that the objectives of the project would positively contribute to the growth and development of the livestock sector.
” I have briefly studied the focus and objectives of the project and is optimistic that it will positively contribute to the growth and development of the livestock sector.
“This contributes about 30 per cent of the rural economy and combined contribution of 10 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with the agricultural sector,” he said.
He assured AU-IBAR of the commitment of the Government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to support the development of the key sectors of the African economy.
” Nigeria will continue to support policy and programmes development.
” The Ministry of Livestock Development is ready to participate in driving innovative and business led interventions that will transform the livestock sector to create jobs, promote food and nutrition security.
” It will also address the diverse conflicts affecting farming and pastoral communities,” he said.
Maiha said that the ministry is well positioned and set to work with diverse stakeholders at local, state, national and international levels to reform and develop the industry.
He said that some of the priority areas included, improving the productivity of producers and livestock enterprises, revamping animal health delivery and breeds improvements.
Others, Maiha said are development of critical resources and infrastructure, expanding market access, strengthening regional coordination and cooperation especially within the West and Central African sub-regions among others.
The minister thanked AU-IBAR for the contributions to the livestock sector, saying he looked forward to beneficial partnerships.(NAN)
A coalition of youth organisations has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to reconsider its wanted tag on socialite, Dr Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, OFR.
The organisations, Niger Delta Youth Council for Good Governance and Middle Belt Youth Stakeholders’ Initiative said this in a joint press statement they issued on Thursday in Abuja.
According to them, the declaration of Achimugu wanted by the anti-corruption agency came to them as a rude shock.
The joint statement was signed by Comrade Emma Niboro and Ali Ameh for Niger Delta Youth Council for Good Governance and Middle Belt Youth Stakeholders’ Initiative, respectively.
They described Achimugu as a dedicated friend of the youths, who had always shown commitment to the welfare and care of the downtrodden.
According to the youth coalition, “we know the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, as a man who came with utmost zeal to sanitize the agency. He has already demonstrated this and we are proud of his achievements so far.
“However, we urge him to resist pressure from politicians, which is a plague that has dwarfed EFCC for several years of its existence.
“The commission had hitherto remained a tool for politicians to undue their perceived political foes and this has always rubbed off on the credibility of the agency.
“The case of Achumugu doesn’t appear to be different in any way, as the haste with which she was declared wanted showed there is a hand of Esau and voice of Jacob.
“Our appeal is that the commission should withdraw the wanted tag on her and give her ample time to report to the commission, as she has never been indicted of any offence whether in Nigeria or outside the country.”
While noting that Achimugu is a global figure, they added that they can always vouch for her integrity.
“We know her, she has always been of immense help to the youths and other members of the society.
“Her closeness to certain politicians should not be used as a tool to persecute or harass her,” the youths further stated.
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.