Unilorin, Jega to Host National Discourse on Tinubu’s Livestock Reform Agenda

The University of Ilorin, in collaboration with the office of the Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative on Livestock Reform, Professor Attahiru Jega, will on Monday, June 30, 2025, convene a high-level national dialogue on the Federal Government’s livestock reform agenda, as part of the University’s Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture. The event, hosted by the university’s […]

The University of Ilorin, in collaboration with the office of the Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative on Livestock Reform, Professor Attahiru Jega, will on Monday, June 30, 2025, convene a high-level national dialogue on the Federal Government’s livestock reform agenda, as part of the University’s Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture.

The event, hosted by the university’s Faculty of Social Sciences, will feature a keynote address by Professor Jega, who currently serves as Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative on Livestock Reform.

Themed around livestock development as a strategic lever for national progress, the lecture will examine key elements of the Tinubu administration’s livestock reform strategy, including efforts to modernise pastoral systems, resolve recurring herder-farmer conflicts, and integrate ranching into Nigeria’s broader agricultural policy framework.

According to organisers, the national discourse is expected to deepen public understanding of how livestock reform intersects with food security, rural development, national cohesion, and climate resilience. Jega is also expected to provide insights into how the ongoing reform aligns with constitutional land use realities and the evolving role of sub-national actors.

The event will also serve as a platform to honour Distinguished Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Production Services.

In a statement, the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Adedoyin Jolaade Omede, described the lecture as an intersection of scholarship and governance, adding that the honouree, Senator Mustapha, represents “a new model of visionary and policy-grounded public service.”

“In just two years in the Senate, Senator Mustapha has redefined legislative leadership in agriculture, transforming the committee into a hub for stakeholder engagement, evidence-based policymaking, and sustainable rural initiatives,” she said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, will serve as Chief Host of the lecture, which is expected to attract a cross-section of stakeholders including academics, government officials, development partners, private sector players, traditional leaders, and civil society organisations.

The Presidential Initiative on Livestock Reform, which Professor Jega leads, has been positioned as one of the Tinubu administration’s flagship responses to agricultural underperformance and related security threats. The initiative is tasked with developing long-term solutions to systemic challenges in the livestock sector, while also addressing broader goals of inclusion and economic diversification.

For the University of Ilorin, the Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture Series has grown into a nationally respected platform for engaging critical issues at the nexus of academic thought and national development.

This year’s edition is expected to spark renewed policy interest, public debate, and expert contribution to Nigeria’s complex but essential livestock reform process.