• Plans rehabilitation of 417 grazing reserves
•Says open grazing no longer sustainable
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The federal government has finalised plans to rehabilitate grazing reserves and establish modern ranching settlements in six areas identified as major conflict flashpoints nationwide.
The move is part of efforts aimed at ending recurring clashes between crop farmers and herders across the country.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed the plan Tuesday evening after briefing President Bola Tinubu at State House, Abuja, on the activities of his ministry and implementation of the National Ranching Policy.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting with Tinubu, Maiha identified Adamawa, Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as priority areas for the intervention because of their history of farmers-herders conflicts.
The minister said government had identified 417 grazing reserves nationwide and had begun a pilot scheme in Plateau State, which would serve as a proof of concept for a new livestock production model designed to reduce the movement of cattle and address one of the major triggers of rural conflicts.
Maiha added that government had also opened consultations with pastoral communities, engaging about 34 organisations as part of efforts to secure their support for the transition from nomadic livestock production to ranching.
According to him, the ministry recently met pastoralists, led by the grand patron of Miyetti Allah and Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, with another round of engagement scheduled for the next two weeks.
Maiha said the federal government’s assessment showed that the traditional system of moving large herds across the country had become increasingly unsustainable because grazing routes had disappeared due to expansion of farms, rapid urbanisation, and growing demand for land for infrastructure.
He stated, “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 explained that nomadism had largely survived as a means of moving livestock from areas where feed and water were scarce to locations where they were available, stating that providing those resources within designated settlements would remove the need for constant cattle movement.
He said, “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.”
The minister said government was consequently promoting commercial pasture cultivation and a model under which grass could either be grown around livestock settlements or harvested elsewhere and transported to the animals.
Breed improvement, he also stated, would enable pastoralists to keep fewer but more productive animals, reducing pressure on land while improving milk and meat production.
The minister said the ranching model would go beyond restricting cattle to designated areas, as the government planned to turn grazing reserves into integrated economic communities equipped with housing, veterinary clinics, primary schools, primary healthcare facilities, solar power, and earth dams for irrigating pasture fields.
According to Maiha, concentrating livestock in properly developed reserves could also attract milk processors, modular abattoirs, bio-digesters, and other businesses along the livestock value chain.
He stated, “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 heads of cattle in one area. The milk collection alone will attract milk processors.
“They will attract modular abattoirs. They will attract bio-digesters. They will attract so many things that will come there. That is our concept, and that’s what we have been selling to them.”
Maiha said consultations so far had not encountered resistance from pastoralists, who increasingly recognised 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.
The minister explained that another major component of the government’s strategy was the introduction of radio frequency identification for livestock, under which four-legged animals would be fitted with ear tags for identification, geolocation, and proof of ownership.
He stressed that the initiative would enable the government to develop a national livestock database, while making it easier to track animals that stray or are stolen through cattle rustling.
Maiha described the initiative as part of the non-kinetic measures being deployed to stabilise rural communities and reduce farmers-herders clashes.
Commenting on the broader livestock economy, he said the government was also focusing on modern abattoirs, dairy production, commercial fodder cultivation, veterinary services, vaccine storage infrastructure, and poultry production.
The minister said at least seven model veterinary clinics had been built, while the government’s long-term objective was to establish at least one model veterinary hospital in every state and extend veterinary clinics to underserved communities.
He added that the ministry was developing off-grid cold-chain vaccine storage facilities across the country to ensure animal vaccines could be transported and preserved at the required temperatures.
Maiha said the government was also encouraging investment in modern abattoirs to replace open slaughter facilities, which he described as inadequate from a public health perspective.
He disclosed that discussions were underway 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.
He said government 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 he also briefed Tinubu on the ministry’s activities since its creation in July 2024 as part of the president’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 have since established similar ministries or agencies.
He said the development had strengthened prospects for collaboration between the federal government and states, particularly because land and much of the country’s livestock resources fell within the states.
Maiha said Tinubu was supportive of the ministry’s programmes and demonstrated detailed knowledge of developments in the sector during their discussion.
While quoting the president as saying, “The value chains in the livestock sector are fantastic,” the minister urged Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities across the industry.
Maiha stated, “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.”