November 30, (THEWILL) — In the last few days, the Federal Government made statements that conveyed the impression that it had no policy on open grazing of cattle, which is believed to be one of the major causes of the insecurity currently ravaging the country. The fight over antics-herders/farmers clash or herders/farmers conflict-raged for a while until it became submerged in the bloodletting traceable to killer herdsmen who carry AK-47 assault rifles around when guiding their cattle randomly through routes that often turn out to be farms and settlements of inhabitants in many parts of the country. Gone are the herdsmen of yore who were calm and polite in relating with their hosts while following predetermined paths during migratory seasons in search of fresh grasslands.
In three consecutive days last week, the public was threatened with what looked like ambivalence from the government on the matter. At first, reports had it that the Federal Government had formally abolished open grazing nationwide, signalling a major policy shift in Nigeria’s livestock management and efforts to curb recurring farmer–herder conflicts.
The reports followed the inaugural meeting of the National Council on Livestock Development, the Minister of Livestock Development in Adamawa State where the Minister, Mallam Idi Mukhtar Maiha, was quoted as saying that open grazing had created “unnecessary hiccups” for years, fuelling clashes, destroying farmlands and leading to avoidable loss of lives.
He declared that “grazing cattle openly is now an offence across the country,” urging herders to embrace ranching as a safer, modern and more profitable model.
“Ranching will not only prevent conflicts but also produce healthier and heavier cattle, which is better for business,” Maiha said, adding that “the abolition aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s livestock innovation agenda, which positions the ministry as Nigeria’s next major revenue hub.”
Chairman of the House Committee on Livestock, Tasir Olawale Raji, who was at the occasion beside Adamawa Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry, Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, hailed the ministry’s performance and applauded the abolition of open grazing, saying it would end decades of needless clashes between farmers and herders. “It was needless confusion all these years. This policy should have been implemented long ago,” Raji reportedly said.
Later in the day on November 25, 2025, the government reportedly debunked the report.Oghenekevwe Uchechukwu, Head of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, the Ministry said the clarification followed “misleading media reports” suggesting that open grazing had been abolished. According to Uchechukwu, the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, explained that the government is instead implementing a phased and structured transition from open grazing to modern ranching systems as part of ongoing livestock sector reforms.
He disclosed that Nigeria currently has 273 gazetted grazing reserves covering more than 4.5 million hectares, and efforts are underway to revitalise and equip these reserves in collaboration with state governments.
“The transition plan does not abolish open grazing overnight but provides viable alternatives that support productivity, reduce conflicts, and promote a sustainable livestock ecosystem”, the statement noted.
Maiha stressed the need for a well-organised business environment for pastoralists and livestock operators, saying the gazetted grazing reserves remain lawful operational spaces that the government is now working to modernise.
Then on Wednesday, November 26, in the wake of kidnappings of school children in Kebbi and Niger States as well as church goers in Kwara amid the ongoing abductions across the country, particularly in the North, President Bola Tinubu in a statement said, among other things, “I call on all herder associations to take advantage of it, end open grazing and surrender illegal weapons. Ranching is now the path forward for sustainable livestock farming and national harmony. Our administration created the Livestock Ministry to address the persistent clashes between herders and farmers.”
The President’s appeal definitely shows the policy on open grazing is either not working or it is being treated with levity. We recall that on May 11, 2021, Southern governors, after their meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, banned open grazing in their states. Then President Muhammadu Buhari reacted strongly by labelling the governors’ action as “acts of politicking intended by its signatories to demonstrate their power,” and his Minister of Justice and Attorney General Abubakar Malami, described the action as unconstitutional.
Buhari said he had approved a number of specific measures to bring a permanent end to the frequent skirmishes as recommended by Alhaji Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture in a report he submitted. Three years down the line, after the story remains the same, buried in official ambiguity and levity while hundreds have died as a result of the marauding actions of killer herdsmen. We urge the government to summon the political will to deal with this problem once and for all. Time is running out.
