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Senate President seeks Federal govt support for livestock business

Published

4 years ago

November 13, 2022

Flags off 2022 free Animal Vaccination, Medical Outreach in Yobe

By Abdulateef Taiwo

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has made a strong case for those engaged in livestock business to be assisted by the Federal government.

Lawan made the appeal at the weekend during the flag off of the Free Mass Animal Vaccination which he sponsors every year, since 2018, for his constituents in Yobe North Senatorial District, Yobe State.

This year flag off ceremony held on Saturday at Jajuwa in Jakusko Local Government Area.

In his remarks at the flag off ceremony, the Senate President said: “It is our belief here that the livestock industry in Nigeria is one of the biggest contributors to the economy of Nigeria.

“And it is only fair that the livestock industry is supported by government because we benefit immensely from this sector of our economy and it is unfair for anyone to say that livestock industry is private business and therefore should not be supported. That is unfair.

“We have so many private businesses including banks that are supported by government. And therefore our livestock sector and those who man it deserve the support of government particularly the Federal government.

“And I will push for that, that this industry is supported by government to ease the problems that those who run the industry suffer from time to time.

“Today we are here to flag off the livestock vaccination for our livestock, our cattle, cows, our sheep, our goats and other smaller animals.

“This has been an annual event and this year is not different. Last year we set a target of about a million cows and about 500 smaller animals like sheep and goats particularly. This year we are going to do the same or even slightly higher than that in number.

“What is also different this year is that we are going to increase our support to our Fulani herdsdsmen and livestock rearers.”

The free Veterinary Services cover Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia (CBPP), Peste Petits des Ruminants(PPR) and treatment and medication of minor illnesses.

Also at the weekend, the Senate President flagged off the fifth Annual Medical Outreach for his people in Yobe North which is being sponsored by his foundation, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan Foundation(SAIL).

The outreach, which was also started in 2018, covers free medical services for eye treatment, surgical services, Gynecological check up and surgeries for families and free screening for clinical cancer for women

Lawan flaged off the programme for this year at the Yobe State Specialist Hospital, Gashua and Federal Medical Centre, Nguru.

The Senate President said this year outreach would accommodate about 5000 beneficiaries for various ailments.

“We have just witnessed how those who had surgeries on their eyes now can see. Some of them for four years, they have not been able to use their eyes to see anything.

“This year free annual medical outreach marks the fifth edition, which is a legacy project

“In line with our tradition and resolve, the SAIL Foundation, as part of our convenant with the good of Yobe North Senatorial District, we will continue to scale up the number of beneficiaries of both initiatives,” Lawan said.

The Senate President said the initiative was to complement the efforts of the state and federal government and pledged to sustain the programme whether still in public service or out of public service.

Speaking at the flag off ceremony at Nguru, the Acting Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, Dr Adamu Abdullahi spoke of the tremendous impact of the medical outreach on the people.

“These continuous interventions have reduced the prevalence of the disease burden. The impact is both direct and indirect. The quality of lives of many beneficiaries had improved and the effect on their families is very noticeable and the community is appreciative,” Abdullahi said.

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Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold

Published

2 days ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.

The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.

Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.

According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.

“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.

“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”

The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.

Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.

“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.

Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.

Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.

He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.

Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.

He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.

To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization

Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.

Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.

“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.

In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee

is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.

The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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