Pastoralist groups back Tinubu for 2027 at Kaduna rally over livestock ministry

Pastoralist organisations from across Nigeria have thrown their weight behind President Bola Tinubu's re-election in 2027, thanking him for setting up the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.

The groups made the pledge on Saturday, 31 October 2026, at a national thank-you rally held at Murtala Mohammed Square in Kaduna. The event was put together by a coalition of pastoralist associations, with state government representatives, livestock farmers, ranchers, processors, marketers and commodity groups in attendance.

The ministry was created in July 2024, a move the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, called a turning point for a sector that had waited decades for federal attention.

Maiha told the gathering that the ministry belongs to everyone who works in the livestock chain, from herders and dairy farmers to traders, transporters, butchers and processors. He urged them to use it to lift their livelihoods and to build peace.

What the ministry says it has done so far

According to the minister, seven modern veterinary hospitals have been completed, while 14 others are at different stages of construction. He listed other areas of work: controlling animal disease, developing pasture and fodder, improving breeding, boosting dairy production and attracting investment.

Maiha asked livestock associations to work with the ministry and state governments to spell out their members' needs and to propose practical fixes for production and market problems. He also called for dialogue and better management of land and water to head off clashes between farmers and herders.

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Murtala Mohammed Dabo, praised the President for the ministry and the minister for pushing the reforms. He pointed to state efforts including solar-powered water points for pastoralist communities, vaccination drives, artificial insemination, pasture development and work on abattoirs.

"Livestock is not conflict; livestock is wealth," the governor said, adding that pastoralists are partners rather than a problem. He said the 2027 election would be "a knockout" for the President.

The National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Baba Othman Ngelzarma, said the ministry answered a demand pastoralist communities had made for years. In his view, neglect of the sector fed farmer-herder tensions and other security troubles, including cattle rustling, kidnapping and banditry, which he said hurt farmers and herders alike.

"The Ministry was created specifically to address the issue of peace-building," Ngelzarma said, adding that peace is as much a concern for pastoralists as for farmers.

Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman, National President of the Miyetti Allah Pulaku Yeso Yeso Development Association (MAFYDA), commended the minister's commitment to the reforms. Sherif Balogun, who heads the Federation of Agricultural and Commodity Associations of Nigeria and spoke for more than 65 commodity associations, cited better productivity and new openings for exporters and processors.

At the close of the rally, the coalition gave President Tinubu a traditional Fulani hat as a token of appreciation. Maiha received it on the President's behalf.

What happens next

The groups said they will keep supporting the reforms and asked for continued protection of livestock assets and more economic opportunities along the value chain. The ministry wants associations to bring concrete proposals to it and to state governments.