Despite prolonged controversy and rancour among Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved recommendations of a committee to review “with dispatch,” 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment.”
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, narrated this in a statement entitled ‘President Buhari approves review of grazing reserves in 25 states.’
Buhari’s directive comes after approving the recommendations of a committee chaired by his Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari.
Recall that President had tried to introduce Ruga settlement, and National Livestock Transformation Plan, yet most Nigeria who saw such attempt as ‘land grabbing’ ploy repulsed it.
The President is expected to have issued an executive order o tot have sent the proposal to National Assembly for deliberations and passage into law pending his assent into law.
The committee had recommended, among others, the collection of field data collection on 368 Grazing Reserves across 25 states to assess encroachment and encroachers, stakeholder engagements and sensitization.
The Committee also recommended the production of maps and geo-mapping/tagging of sites, analysis of findings and report preparations as well as design appropriate communication on Grazing Reserves and operations.
The number of the Grazing Reserves and States were deduced from considerations of existing security concerns and other pre-existing socio-economic conditions.
The President directed that the assignment be undertaken with dispatch to bring more understanding on the Grazing Reserves, and implementation.
Members of the committee include Governor of Kebbi State and Vice Chairman, National Food Security Council, Abubakar Bagudu, Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of NEC Sub-Committee for National Livestock Transformation Plan, David Umahi,
Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Abubakar and Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye.
The Technical Sub-Committee consists of representatives from the seven members of the main committee in addition to representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Surveyor-General of the Federation, National Agricultural Land Development Authority and National Space Research Development Agency.
The Committee will also make recommendations for gazetting of ungazetted Grazing Reserves and create a database of National Cattle Herders and ensure that Grazing Reserves are well communicated to all stakeholders.
The inaugural meeting of the Committee was held on May 10, 2021.
Meanwhile, eight out of 17 Southern governors have passed and enforced the anti-open grazing law while nine are yet to pass the bill into law to check farmers-herders conflict.
