Nigeria takes steps to address Farmer-Herder conflicts

-recommend open grazing to stop farmers/herders clash

September 20, 2024

By Samuel Ogunsona

The Presidential Livestock Reform Committee moves to stop the standing farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria, as they recommend the combination of open grazing and ranching to the society.

According to the committee set up by President Bola Tinubu, “This approach aims to provide a viable solution to the crisis that has plagued the country for years”

Prof. Attahiru Jega, Co-chairman of the committee, emphasized that a dual approach is necessary, stating, “Any solution that is to be developed now has to be a combination of both.”

This recommendation comes after the committee submitted a comprehensive 152-page inception report on livestock reforms in Nigeria

“You cannot wake up tomorrow and have only ranching because there is already a large portion of the population involved in traditional pastoral activities. What do you do with them? It’s not a case of either/or, but any solution developed now has to be a combination of both.

“We are promoting long-term objectives like intensive livestock production, but you cannot achieve this overnight.

You need to develop policies and frameworks that can accommodate both for a period of time. The objective is to have intensive livestock production, not the extensive pastoralism we currently have,” said Jega.

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

“I think some of the challenges we’ve faced in the past, which have led to the politicisation of the issue, stem from being quick to adopt a singular mindset regarding the solution.

“In a complicated situation like this, we need to think in terms of incremental positive changes, and we must have a timeframe within which these will be achieved,” he explained.

Jega said the proposed solution will serve as an interim measure while the Federal Government works towards its long-term objective of intensive livestock production.

The committee’s focus is on achieving sustainable livestock production, which is critical in addressing the conflicts between farmers and herders.