Farmers-Herders Clashes: FG Begins Ranching Pilot, Plans 417 Grazing Reserves

The federal government has intensified efforts to end recurring farmers-herders clashes, targeting Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Adamawa states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for interventions under its new ranching policy.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this on Tuesday to State House correspondents after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the presidential Villa, on the activities of the ministry and the implementation of the National Ranching Policy.

Maiha said the six areas had been identified as priority locations because of their history of farmers-herders conflicts, adding that the government had identified 417 grazing reserves nationwide for possible rehabilitation and development.

He disclosed that the government had commenced a pilot ranching scheme in Plateau State as a proof of concept for a new livestock production model aimed at reducing the movement of cattle and addressing one of the major triggers of rural conflicts.

According to him, the government is also engaging pastoral communities to secure their support for the transition from nomadic livestock production to ranching.

He said about 34 pastoral organisations had so far been engaged as part of the consultations, adding that the ministry recently met pastoralists under the leadership of the Grand Patron of Miyetti Allah and Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar.

Maiha said another round of engagement with the pastoral communities was scheduled to take place within two weeks.

The minister explained that the government had concluded that the traditional practice of moving large herds across the country was becoming increasingly unsustainable because grazing routes had disappeared due to the expansion of farms, rapid urbanisation and increasing demand for land for infrastructure development.

“Large number of cattle on the move is crisis-prone because, number one, the grazing routes have disappeared. Farms, large farms have come up, aggressive urbanisation, demand for land for infrastructure development, so many other things have made nomadism not sustainable,” Maiha said.

He said nomadism had historically enabled livestock owners to move animals from areas where feed and water were scarce to places where the resources were available.

However, he said the government’s strategy was to provide those resources within designated livestock settlements, thereby reducing the need for constant movement of cattle.

“Why don’t you provide these resources in situ and stop these animals from moving? Human beings can move; they don’t cause crisis. It’s the animals’ movement that normally generates this crisis,” he said.

Maiha said the government was consequently promoting commercial pasture cultivation and a system under which grass could either be grown around livestock settlements or harvested elsewhere and transported to the animals.

He added that breed improvement would enable pastoralists to keep fewer but more productive animals, reducing pressure on land while increasing milk and meat production.

The minister said the ranching programme would go beyond simply confining cattle to designated areas, explaining that the government plans to transform grazing reserves into integrated economic communities.

He said the proposed settlements would have housing, veterinary clinics, primary schools, primary healthcare facilities, solar power and earth dams for irrigating pasture fields.

According to him, developing the reserves could also attract investments in milk processing, modular abattoirs, biodigesters and other businesses across the livestock value chain.

“At the end of the day, each of those grazing reserves will become an economic hub. Imagine what you are going to have if you have 30,000 head of cattle in one area. The milk collection alone will attract milk processors.

“They will attract modular abattoirs. They will attract biodigesters. They will attract so many things that will come there. That is our concept, and that’s what we have been selling to them,” he said.

Maiha said the consultations with pastoralists had so far not encountered resistance, saying the communities increasingly recognise that the old nomadic system could no longer be sustained.

“So far, we have not seen resistance from anybody because the reality on the ground is that nomadism, as it were, is no longer sustainable, and we need a different concept,” he said.

Another component of the government’s strategy, according to the minister, is the introduction of radio frequency identification for livestock.

Under the initiative, four-legged animals would be fitted with ear tags to enable identification, geolocation and proof of ownership.

Maiha said the system would help the government establish a national livestock database and make it easier to track animals that stray or are stolen through cattle rustling.

He described the initiative as part of the non-kinetic measures being deployed to stabilise rural communities and reduce farmers-herders clashes.

Beyond the ranching programme, Maiha said the Federal Government was also focusing on modern abattoirs, dairy production, commercial fodder cultivation, veterinary services, vaccine storage infrastructure and poultry production.

He disclosed that at least seven model veterinary clinics had been built, while the long-term objective was to establish at least one model veterinary hospital in every state and extend veterinary clinics to underserved communities.

The ministry, he added, was also developing off-grid cold-chain vaccine storage facilities across the country to ensure that animal vaccines could be transported and preserved at the required temperatures.

Maiha said the government was encouraging investment in modern abattoirs to replace open slaughter facilities, which he described as inadequate from a public health perspective.

He added that discussions were ongoing with local investors and development partners on the establishment of large-scale dairy projects, while commercial fodder cultivation was being promoted for domestic consumption and export.

The government, he said, was also considering large-scale importation of hatchable eggs to stabilise the poultry industry and shorten the waiting period for day-old chicks for local producers.

Maiha said Tuesday’s meeting with President Tinubu was also used to update the President on the ministry’s activities since its creation in July 2024 as part of the administration’s strategy to mainstream livestock into the national economy.

He said the ministry was established to modernise the sector and make it sustainable, profitable and globally competitive, adding that about 20 states had since established similar ministries or agencies.

According to him, the development had strengthened prospects for collaboration between the federal government and states, particularly because land and much of the country’s livestock resources fall within the states.

Maiha said President Tinubu was supportive of the ministry’s programmes and demonstrated detailed knowledge of developments in the sector during their discussion.

He quoted the President as saying, “The value chains in the livestock sector are fantastic,” while urging Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities across the industry.

“The President has been very supportive, and we are very grateful for that political support and for the understanding we are getting from Mr President.

“For us, actually, we need not ask for more, but to go back and deliver,” Maiha said.