Livestock Ministry: Settle herders with grazing reserves – Miyetti Allah tells Govs

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has asked State governors to “settle pastoralists” with grazing reserves designated for herders in the 1960s.

MACBAN President, Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, stated this on Wednesday while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily live programme.

Othman-Ngelzamar opined that the “preservation” and the “protection” of grazing reserves, especially those in the 19 northern states would address the intractable and internecine challenge of the farmer-herder crisis.

The statement came after President Bola Tinubu announced the creation of a new ministry for livestock development.

He said the livestock sector could turn around the economy of Nigeria if well-tapped.

However, the MACBAN President said herders were not interested in land grabbing but settlements.

“Talking about land grabbing, even in the northern part of the country where the pastoralists belong, they don’t have lands. They don’t care about land; they stay in the forests (and) when development reaches them, they move further into the forests,” he said.

When asked further whether state governors would have to give the herders land for settlement or ranching, MACBAN boss said: “Do they need the state governments to give them (herders) lands? We have areas that are dedicated as grazing reserves.

“We have about 415 of them all located in the northern part of the country covering about six million hectares of land. There are some encroachments on them but if you minus the encroachments, you will still have about five million hectares of land that are dedicated for grazing, have laws for them for grazing, the lands are there.”