HERDSMEN/FARMERS CLASHES: NEC RECOMMENDS RANCHING IN 5 STATES

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Technical Sub-Committee set up by the National Economic Council (NEC) Working Group has recommended the adoption of ranching in some of the states affected by farmers/herdsmen clashes as a sustainable solution to the conflicts.

“Contrary to some online media reports, NEC did not discuss or pronounce a ban on the movement of herdsmen”, Special Adviser to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande said in a statement.

According to him, the Committee presented an interim report at this month’s NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. The sub-committee is headed by Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, with the governors of Plateau and Adamawa states among the committee’s membership.

The Working Group also recommended that the state governments of the five affected states should allocate land for this purpose. The NEC Working Group, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, which noted that ranching would enhance the production of healthy cattle in the country, identified the need to transform the livestock industry into a model for cattle production as one of the remedies for constant clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

Following its visit to five out of seven of the affected states, including Zamfara, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Taraba and Benue, the committee, in its report to NEC today, noted that a root cause of the conflict was the struggle for scarce land and resources.

Briefing the press after the NEC meeting, Governor Umahi said most of the killings, especially in Benue State, are carried out by herdsmen from outside the country and called for the deployment of more security operatives in the area. Also, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe, at the meeting, gave an overview of the Agriculture production initiative, which he said has contributed about 27% to the expansion of the Nigerian economy over the past 35 years.

“Agriculture is Nigeria’s single largest economic sector, accounting for 24% of the GDP in 2016 in spite of recession, and has consistently increased to 25.08% as at 2017,” he stated.

He listed out intervention programme rolled out by the Ministry for the Agriculture Production Initiatives in Rice, Maize, Sorghum, Wheat, Groundnut, Cowpea, Soybean, Millet, Sesame, Tomato, Onion, Okro, Cocoyam, Cassava, Yam, Ginger, Cotton, Cashew, Oil Palm, Cocoa, Fish, as well as Animal and Livestock.