Farmer-herder clashes: Presidential panel recommends open grazing, ranching

The Presidential Livestock Reform Committee on Thursday proposed that a combination of ranching and open grazing could be the most viable solution to the farmer-herder crisis in Nigeria.

Co-chairman of the committee, Prof. Attahiru Jega, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after presenting a 152-page inception report on livestock reforms.

Jega emphasised that while the Federal Government promotes long-term objectives for intensive livestock production, the immediate recommendations include accommodating both ranching and open grazing for a defined period.

This approach aims to transition gradually from extensive pastoralism.

“You cannot wake up tomorrow and have only ranching because a significant portion of the population is engaged in traditional pastoral activities. The solution must combine both approaches initially,” Jega said.

He noted that the report suggested a 10-year implementation timeline to achieve incremental positive changes in the livestock sector.

“Past challenges often arose from quick, singular solutions. A complex situation requires incremental changes with a clear timeframe,” he explained.

The committee also recommended establishing a Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, outlining detailed guidelines for its creation.

Meanwhile, the National Project Coordinator, Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, Mrs. Winnie Lai-Solarin, gave an estimated breakdown of the number of livestock in the country.

She quoted a most recent National Agricultural Sample Census (of 2022) and projections by the Federal Department of Animal Husbandry Services that revealed that Nigeria has 563 million poultry, 600 million sheep, 124 million goats, 58 million cattle and 16 million pigs.

Lai-Solarin highlighted the investment potential, stating, “With this number, Nigeria has the largest livestock population in West Africa and ranks fifth in Africa. Poultry alone has attracted over N1.7tn in investments.”

She noted that only one per cent of ruminant livestock is intensively produced, with about 85 per cent under extensive pastoral systems.

 The proposed reforms aim to gradually increase intensive production, similar to the poultry sector, where 31 per cent of production is intensive.

Thursday’s meeting followed months of deliberation since the National Livestock Reforms Committee first recommended the creation of a “Ministry of Livestock Resources” to President Tinubu last September.

Former Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who led the delegation, outlined 21 recommendations to address the farmer-herder conflict and enhance the Federal Government’s response.

The PUNCH earlier reported that Nigeria’s farmer-herder crisis, particularly acute in the North-Central zone, has persisted for over two decades and claimed more than 60,000 lives since 2001.

Desertification in the North has driven nomadic herders southward, leading to conflicts with farmers over resources.

President Tinubu has stated that implementing livestock reforms will address obstacles to agricultural productivity and create new opportunities benefiting farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock value chain.