House of Representatives Committee on Livestock Development and tasked members to provide legislative interventions to rejuvenate the sector.
Speaking at the ceremony, Raji recalled that the Speaker, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, constituted the committee on October 2 at plenary.
Raji emphasised that the livestock sector had not received the attention it deserved from successive administrations, in spite of its significant potential and contribution to the economy.
He lauded the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development by President Bola Tinubu as a crucial step towards implementing the Presidential Committee on Livestock Development’s recommendations.
As the Chairman of the Committee, Raji noted that the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development was long overdue.
He highlighted the sector’s impressive annual production estimated at 563 million chickens, 58 million cattle, 124 million goats, 60 million sheep and 16 million pigs.
“In spite of being the leading livestock producer in West Africa, Nigeria still struggles to meet its consumption needs, resulting in significant foreign exchange expenditures on imported livestock products,” he lamented.
Raji emphasised the committee’s mandate to oversee the ministry responsible for livestock development, including its departments, parastatals, agencies, colleges and research institutes.
He stressed the importance of executing the duties with diligence, transparency and commitment to excellence.
