EDO STATE – In a bid to combat insecurities including farmers-herdsmen clashes, kidnappings, and destruction of farms, the Federal and Edo State governments have entered into a partnership through the National Animal Identification and Traceable System (NAITS), under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
The stakeholders’ engagement, held in Benin City, Edo State, outlined the benefits of animal identification processes. The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Stephen Idehenre, expressed that the Governor Godwin Obaseki administration supports the scheme, seeing its potential to bolster the Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) initiative, aimed at reinvigorating the state’s prominence nationally.
Idehenre, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Peter Osagie, postulated that the NAITS “will help end incessant clashes and dignify our livestock system, boost our productivity and acceptance outside the shores of the country.”
Elonna Ezulu, the Group Company Secretary and Legal Adviser of Mega Corp Nigeria Limited and Gamla Group, shared that the scheme would align the sector with international standards. Ezulu highlighted the lack of data and means of animal identification as key factors contributing to issues such as livestock theft and clashes.
“With identification marks on the cow, anyone that strays into farms could easily be detected and know their routes through which they came,” Ezulu stated, explaining how the scheme could help mitigate clashes.
Uchenna Ononye, the Chief Operating Officer of ranch ID – the operations management centre for NAITS – enlightened the participants about the benefits of the scheme and the process for registering and tagging animals.
SOURCE: Vanguard
IMAGE: Web Illustration
