RUGA: A failed project from Kick off and the Possible solutions

The Federal  Government proposed RUGA infrastructure, that  was aimed at creating a vast land area for herdsmen to graze their cattle and other social amenities like schools, hospital, Vet clinics,abattoir,  water provision among others is welcome program that's is  designed to fail either now or later in future because it's fails to address the actual problems an average Nigerian Livestock farmers are facing and its tends to favour  the Fulani herdsmen alone and its look more like a project only for the Fulani herdsmen because the Federal government failed to carry along every stakeholders in the agricultural sector and also neglecting other areas of livestock farming, which includes, Poultry, Piggery, Goatry and Sheep, Rabbit production among others.

The project would have being a success at start but the nomenclature kills it "RUGA" which means "Cattle settlement" in Hausa language, although some stakeholders says its stands for "Rural Grazing Area" either way the nomenclature is not sellable especially in the southern part of the country following so many ongoing clashes between the herdsmen and farmers nationwide.   If you ask me about the importance of  RUGA, I ll tell you its comes with a lot of benefits which includes :

1. Solution to Farmer and herdsmen clashes
2. It will aid scientific research in our institutions
3. It will enhance us to have a comprehensive data about our livestock production
4. It  will help to curb the spread of diseases among our livestock
5. It will reduce stress on the animals, thereby improving their wellbeing and aid optimum production
6. It will creates Jobs for our Veterinary Doctors, animal scientist and many others.
7. Provisions of hide for the Leather industry
8. Healthy meat and milk productions and their byproducts etc

There are numerous benefits from this scheme if properly implemented, but to my best of knowledge, I'm seeing a project that is being driven more by the personal interest of some individuals over national interest, and these individuals are likely to be the contractors for the construction of the RUGA infrastructures.

RUGA project is designed to fail, unless the Federal government include every stakeholders from the Local government to the States government, and also the project should involve other Livestock farming,  including, Poultry,  Goatry, Sheep, Piggery among others, with all these in place every Nigerian will feel among and the project should be dominated by the people in the area where such infrastructures are being put in place, cause this will take care of the fear of land grabbing in the nearest future.

Federal Government only needs to provide accessible loan to livestock farmers, build Veterinary clinics across state and local governments and also introduce a National Livestock policies with optimum implementation to effect the program and probably the establishment of Ministry of Livestock management and in the nearest future, the government will generate a lot of  income Tax from Livestock sales nationwide.
#RUGA #Nigeria #Ranch #Fulani #Herdsmen #Muturu #Cattle #Breed

Dr Khaosar K Omikunle {DVM}