Tinubu pledges to resolve farmer-herder conflicts, seeks $2.5 billion livestock investment
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to resolving the ongoing conflicts between farmers and herders in Nigeria, a crisis that has led to thousands of deaths and threatened food security. The violence, often sparked by disputes over land and water, has escalated over the years, risking both lives and agricultural productivity across various states.
Speaking in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the signing of a Letter of Intent with JBS S.A, one of the world’s largest meat processing companies, Tinubu outlined his administration’s focus on turning the livestock sector into an economic opportunity. He emphasized that a modern, peaceful solution to the farmer-herder clashes could not only end the violence but also help alleviate hunger and poverty in the country.
“We are solving a problem that has plagued humanity in that part of Africa—conflicts between farmers and migrating cattle, which have caused violence,” Tinubu said. “What we are doing is turning a situation of tragedy into economic opportunity.”
The President referenced an Amnesty International report, which documented 3,641 deaths from farmer-herder clashes between 2016 and 2018. He stressed that the government’s renewed focus on livestock development would address both the conflict and the need for sustainable food security.
Tinubu urged JBS S.A to seize the $2.5 billion investment potential in Nigeria’s livestock sector, underscoring the country’s large population as a key factor in this opportunity. “Food security is extremely important. Right now, there is hunger, but there is hope, and you are one of those hopes,” he stated.
Ahead of the signing, Tinubu had dispatched a Nigerian delegation to Brazil to explore opportunities in livestock development, meat processing, and seed multiplication. This visit, which coincided with the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio, highlights the government’s commitment to leveraging global partnerships for Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.
