The National Assembly Joint Committee on Livestock Development has said the N11.8 billion budgetary estimate for the take-off of the newly established Federal Ministry of Livestock Development was inadequate.
The ministry was allocatedN10 billion for capital expenditure and N1.8 billion for overhead in the 2025 budget proposal.
The House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Livestock Development, Wale Raji, said “There will be need for you to make special presentation on this or come up with supplementary budget that will reflect the hope of Nigerians.
“The budget is abysmally low to respond to the yearnings of Nigerians,” he said.
Also, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Livestock, Musa Mustapha said the committee would do its best to help the ministry achieve its mandate.
He said the meeting was laying a foundation laying, adding that the ministry must brace up to give progress report on challenges raised for the joint committee to make necessary intervention.
Earlier, Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha said the ministry began operations with necessary structures in the formative departments from Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
He said the ministry was yet to have an office accommodation, it also lacked facilities and operational equipment to run as a full-fledged ministry.
According to him, the ministry is currently being accommodated by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Maiha said the ministry had initiated conversation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to secure an adequate office accommodation.
According to him, though, the budget might be small it will provide a roadmap for the ministry to take-off effectively.
He said within the budgetary envelope, capital projects would be shared across geopolitical zones according to specific needs, adding that the projects would attract local and foreign investments, adding that the ministry would engage in massive well coordinated sensitisation campaign across national and local media to project the ministry.
The committee, thereafter, asked the minister to harmonise adequate financial needs and re-present it in the form of supplementary budget, while promising prompt approval.
