***Pasture planting initiative hailed as game-changer
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has thrown its weight behind a nationwide push to modernize Nigeria’s livestock sector, positioning the effort as central to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s food security and rural peace agenda.
At the 2025 National Pasture Planting Day in Kawu Grazing Reserve, Bwari Area Council, FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, said the initiative was more than an agricultural ritual — it was a strategic step to ensure year-round access to quality feed, curb overgrazing, and prevent land degradation.
She linked the effort directly to conflict prevention, job creation, and environmental protection.
Mahmoud described Kawu Grazing Reserve as a “strategic agricultural asset” capable of becoming a national model with improved pasture management, water systems, and veterinary services.
“This is not just planting grass,” she said, “it’s planting peace, prosperity, and productivity.”
Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, echoed the sentiment, revealing that eight pasture varieties had been released into the national seed system for the first time in nearly five decades.
He said the administration’s National Livestock Growth Association Strategy — already approved by the National Economic Council — would transform grazing reserves into hubs of sustainable development.
Beyond the celebration, the political undertone was clear: the Tinubu administration is framing livestock reform as proof of its grassroots commitment, aiming to win trust in rural communities ahead of future political contests.
Yet, with success hinging on community-government cooperation, policy follow-through will determine whether this vision blossoms into lasting impact — or withers like neglected pasture.