Yobe Creates Livestock Development Ministry To Harness Sector’s Potential
By Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu
In a move to transform Yobe into Nigeria’s leading livestock producer, Governor Mai Mala Buni has sworn in Hon. Yerima Lawan Mahmud as the state’s pioneer Commissioner for the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The governor made the declaration on Tuesday, during the swearing-in ceremony at the Government House in Damaturu, where he also inaugurated Abdullahi Musa Shehu as Head of Civil Service, two Special Advisers, and the state Statistician General.
Governor Buni charged the new appointees to display integrity, diligence, and professionalism to advance his administration’s agenda for effective governance.
He explained that the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development aligns with a recent federal initiative and is a strategic move to harness the state’s vast livestock potential.
“In every household in Yobe, there is either a crop farmer, a livestock farmer, or both. This ministry is necessary to enhance production for both local consumption and export,” Buni stated.
He urged the new commissioner to leverage his decades of public service experience in effectively managing the huge investments coming to the sector.
“Our government will invest heavily through veterinary clinics, water points, fodder banks, and vaccination against animal diseases,” the governor assured.
Highlighting ongoing capacity-building, the governor revealed that 34 Permanent Secretaries are training at the Public Service Institute in Abuja, while 149 civil servants are attending courses at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) in Lagos.
The appointments of Special Advisers – Mohammed Bukar Ibrahim and Yahaya Inuwa Barde – are aimed at strengthening the government’s connection with the grassroots.
“You are expected to project the interests of the people so that government policies reflect their needs,” Buni said, and called on all appointees to be proactive and innovative, as well as the ethics of public service. .
