The Traffic

MACBAN Hails Tinubu Over DSS Boss Appointment, New Livestock Ministry Creation

By Achimi muktar 

In what’s being hailed as a breakthrough moment for Nigeria’s embattled livestock sector, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has thrown its full support behind President Bola Tinubu, calling his recent decisions a turning point for pastoral communities nationwide.

From the appointment of Mr. Tosin Ajayi as Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the creation of the long-demanded Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, MACBAN says the President is finally walking the talk—and they couldn’t be more pleased.

“This is one of the best appointments of the Tinubu administration,” said Baba Othman Ngelzarma, MACBAN’s National President, in a powerful statement that lauded the government’s efforts. “And the establishment of the Livestock Ministry is a dream fulfilled. It signals hope, progress, and a new era for livestock development in Nigeria.”

The DSS, under Ajayi’s leadership, has received high praise from MACBAN for its “professional handling” of security crises in flashpoints like Plateau and Benue states. This sentiment echoes recent remarks by the Plateau State Government, which described the DSS as its most dependable security partner.

MACBAN highlighted a particularly chilling incident in Enugu, where nine young Fulani men were reportedly murdered. According to the group, it was the DG’s decisive and fair intervention that prevented the tragedy from sparking widespread unrest.

“We salute the DG’s efforts to investigate root causes of conflict,” said MACBAN. “He has shown fairness, resilience, and a strong belief that there can be no peace without justice.”

Crucially, MACBAN applauded the DSS’s refusal to criminalize the Fulani community indiscriminately.

“We’re encouraged by Mr. Ajayi’s clear distinction between criminal elements and hardworking, law-abiding Fulani herders. Every tribe has its bad eggs. But painting everyone with one brush only fuels injustice.”

Beyond praise, MACBAN’s statement also delivered a stark reality check: Over 20 percent of its members—and roughly four million heads of cattle—have fled Nigeria due to escalating insecurity. The displacement of pastoralists has also caused beef prices to skyrocket, affecting everyday Nigerians.

But MACBAN isn’t just clapping from the sidelines. The group pledged full cooperation with federal and state authorities to rebuild trust, security, and the nation’s agricultural economy.

With a livestock ministry now established and a DSS helmsman they believe in, MACBAN says they’re ready to turn a new page.

And for Nigeria’s millions of herders, that page may finally read: Hope, Justice, and Peace.