Emmanuel Ukudolo I Wednesday, Sept 17, 2025
LAGOS, Nigeria – Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha has an ambitious proposal for grazing reserves and ranching to reverse the current trend of clashes between herders and farmers in an effort to take Nigeria to the glorious past of food production in abundance.
While the proposal for grazing reserves and ranches is a well-intentioned effort to modernize the livestock sector and de-escalate conflicts, its success hinges on overcoming significant hurdles related to funding, equitable geographic distribution, and effective enforcement
His proposal is a complex approach to address the persistent farmer-herder clashes. The initiative aims to modernize and regulate livestock management, but it faces significant challenges and has raised concerns regarding its implementation and equity.
The Proposal’s Core Elements
The proposal focuses on establishing and developing grazing reserves and ranches as a long-term solution to the conflicts. According to the Minister of Agriculture, there are 417 designated grazing reserves in Nigeria, all of which are located in the northern part of the country, with none in the south. The key elements of this plan are:
Legal Framework: The areas designated for grazing reserves are recognized by law.
State Participation: 20 Northern States have reportedly signed up for the initiative.
Restrictive Grazing: The ministry’s directive aims to restrict open grazing to designated ranches.
The Minister’s Perspective
The proposal by Minister Maiha seeks to transform traditional nomadic pastoralism into a more settled, modern, and economically viable system. By converting grazing reserves into ranches with facilities like schools, the government aims to improve the lives of herders and their families, thereby reducing the need for them to migrate across the country in search of pasture.
This approach also seeks to curb the escalating violence and criminality associated with the conflicts, such as cattle rustling and kidnapping.
Miyetti Allah’s View
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), represented by President Baba Othman, expresses strong support for the minister’s plan.
Othman highlights the demographic pressure of a growing population on static land resources, making a settled solution necessary. He notes that MACBAN is actively involved in the ministry’s efforts and is pleased with the direction.
The association’s support is based on the belief that a settled lifestyle with amenities like schools will improve the socio-economic conditions of herders. However, Othman points out a major obstacle: the inability of individual herders to afford private ranches due to a lack of capital.
Farmers and Security Concerns
The proposal is a direct response to the escalating clashes between farmers and herders, which have evolved from disputes over grazing rights into a more sinister form of criminality.
The conflict has spiraled into an economy of violence, with herders and farmers alike becoming victims of cattle rustling and kidnapping, often paying ransom for their release.
A structured ranching system is seen as a way to contain and mitigate this violence by reducing contact and conflict points.
Critical Appraisal
While the proposal is a commendable step towards addressing a long-standing and complex issue, it has several critical points that need to be considered:
Geographic Imbalance: The fact that all 417 reserves are in the North and none are in the South raises significant questions about equity and inclusivity. The farmer-herder conflict is a national problem, and a solution that is geographically one-sided may not be sustainable or effective in all regions, especially in the southern states where land is scarce and communities are particularly resistant to the idea of grazing reserves.
Implementation Challenges: The plan requires significant capital investment to convert reserves into ranches with modern facilities. The government’s capacity to fund and manage this transformation on a large scale is a major concern.
The high cost of individual ranches, as pointed out by MACBAN’s president, highlights the economic barrier for the majority of herders. The proposal lacks a clear strategy for how herders will be supported financially to transition to a ranching model.
Voluntary vs. Mandated Participation: While 20 northern states have signed up, the lack of participation from all states, especially in the South, complicates the implementation. The directive to restrict grazing to ranches will be difficult to enforce without nationwide buy-in and a clear legal framework that is accepted by all stakeholders.
Security and Enforcement: The proposal assumes that ranches will solve the security issues, but the criminal networks involved in rustling and kidnapping are a separate problem that requires dedicated law enforcement and security strategies. The success of the ranching model depends heavily on the government’s ability to ensure the safety of both herders and farmers.
While the proposal for grazing reserves and ranches is a well-intentioned effort to modernize the livestock sector and de-escalate conflicts, its success hinges on overcoming significant hurdles related to funding, equitable geographic distribution, and effective enforcement.
The government’s ability to address these challenges will determine whether the plan becomes a viable solution or a well-meaning but ultimately ineffective policy.
