Livestock committee submits report, proposes open grazing, ranching to end farmers-herders crisis

The presidential committee on livestock reforms has submitted its report to President Bola Tinubu, recommending “integrated solutions” to the country’s pastoral issues.

In September 2023, Tinubu set up the livestock reform committee to proffer solutions to the recurring clashes between farmers and herders.

Tinubu inaugurated the committee after receiving a report from the national conference on livestock reforms and mitigation of associated conflicts in Nigeria.

The conference gave the president 21 recommendations, including creating a ministry of livestock resources.

In the past years, the clashes between herders and farmers have led to the death of many people, destruction of properties, and displacement of many people.

President Tinubu is the chairman of the committee, while Attahiru Jega, a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), serves as the co-chairman.

INTEGRATING OPEN GRAZING AND RANCHING 

Speaking with the State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday after submitting the report, Jega said the committee proposed “integrated solutions” to the pastoral issues in the country.

The former INEC chairman said Nigeria must combine open grazing and ranching to solve the challenge of farmers and herders’ crises in the country.

Jega said policy frameworks should accommodate both ranching and open grazing for a period of time, while increasing awareness against the extensive nature of pastoralism should be encouraged.

“You cannot wake up tomorrow, and all you have is ranching because you have already had quite a large chunk of the population in traditional pastoral activities,” Jega said.

“What do you do with them? Any solution that has to be developed now has to be a combination of both.

“Why we are promoting a long-term objective is that we now have livestock production. You have to develop policies and frameworks that can accommodate both for a period of time.

“The objective is to have intensive livestock production and not to have extensive in the nature of pastoralism that we have now.”

The former INEC chairman said the committee made recommendations on the creation of the federal ministry of livestock development.