KACRAN Urges NEDC to Champion Livestock Development in 2026 Agenda

The Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has made a passionate appeal to the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to place livestock development at the heart of its 2026 policies and programmes. The association believes that for true regional recovery to take root, the Commission must give greater attention to pastoralist communities who have borne the heaviest toll of insecurity and displacement across the North East.

National President of KACRAN, Hon. Khalil Mohammed Bello, commended the NEDC for its remarkable contributions to rebuilding the war-torn region. He acknowledged its successes in restoring infrastructure, renovating schools and hospitals, rebuilding bridges and homes destroyed by insurgency, and providing vital support to internally displaced persons. The group also praised the Commission’s swift interventions during floods, its security collaborations, and the training of forest guards—efforts they described as essential to restoring hope in the region.

Despite these achievements, KACRAN expressed concern that pastoralist communities remain largely excluded from the benefits of the NEDC’s initiatives. The group noted that while the Commission’s urban projects have transformed cities and towns, little has reached those living in remote bushlands—the very areas most ravaged by conflict. Countless herders, they lamented, have lost both family members and livestock, their only means of livelihood, to the violence that has plagued the region.

The association called for urgent action to correct this imbalance. It urged the NEDC to support pastoralists through the distribution of livestock to replace lost herds, the provision of animal feed, water points, and relief materials for displaced members. KACRAN further appealed for livestock development to be integrated as a core pillar of the Commission’s 2026 strategy, arguing that no regional recovery plan can be complete without addressing the needs of the herding communities.

KACRAN maintained that inclusive development anchored on livestock revival would not only restore livelihoods but also strengthen food security and stability across the North East. By embracing livestock development, the group said, the NEDC would demonstrate fairness, rebuild trust, and unlock the economic potential of millions of pastoralists ready to contribute to the region’s lasting peace and prosperity.