Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, has reiterated this commitment at the inauguration of the Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation during the Benue Peace Summit held in Makurdi on Wednesday, 25 February 2026. 

Conveying the goodwill of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister acknowledged the immense pain and loss suffered by the people of Benue due to farmer-herder conflicts, which have threatened the state’s identity as the “Food Basket of the Nation.”

The Minister disclosed that over 13 livestock facilities across Benue State, many established over four decades ago, have fallen into disrepair. 

He announced the Federal Government’s readiness to partner with the Benue State Government under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to rehabilitate these assets into functional Livestock Service Centres. 

These facilities include the Yandev Pig Progeny Centre, small ruminant ranches, abandoned abattoirs, and pasture development areas.

“Part of the mission of this Peace Commission is to stabilise the countryside through practical mechanisms and frameworks that transform livestock into a vehicle for prosperity, not conflict,” Maiha said. 

He noted that the sector could absorb Benue’s youth through decent, well-paying jobs in pig breeding, feedlot estates, and pasture cultivation.

In his address, the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, represented by Deputy Governor Sam Ode, described the Benue State Strategic Plan for Peace and Reconciliation (2026–2030) as a homegrown roadmap. 

He stated that the vision was to build a secure Benue where communities coexist through dialogue and justice. 

Additionally, Hussaini Abdu, Country Director of CARE International, called for stronger prioritisation of Benue in national planning, while traditional leaders emphasised the urgent need for the safe return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes.

Source: FMLD