Ex-INEC chairman Jega bags key appointment in Tinubu's government

Attahiru Jega, a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been appointed by President Bola Tinubu as Adviser and Coordinator of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Initiative.

Bayo Onanuga, the President's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, announced the development in a statement on Friday, March 7, 2025.

Jega's appointment represents a significant step in Tinubu's administration's efforts to address long-standing issues plaguing Nigeria's livestock sector.

Before he was appointed, Jega had co-chaired the presidential livestock reforms implementation committee.

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In 2024, the President pledged his administration's commitment to transforming the country's livestock sector into a commercial industry.

He lamented that the nation had neglected large-scale commercial livestock farming for a very long time, noting that Nigeria would have benefited immensely had the sector not been neglected.

Tinubu approved the establishment of the livestock committee in 2023 to address herders/farmers' clashes and bolster the livestock and dairy industries.

Upon receiving a report from the national conference on livestock reforms and mitigation of associated conflicts in Nigeria, he set up a committee to proffer permanent solutions.

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The President subsequently approved the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and appointed Idi Mukhtar Maiha as minister.