FG denies open grazing ban, okays gradual transition to ranching

By AbdulRahman Obaje

The Federal Government yesterday denied reports that it has banned open grazing, stating instead that the country is undergoing a gradual transition toward modern ranching systems.

On Tuesday, the Head of Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Oghenekevwe Uchechukwu, in a statement said that the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, confirmed that there was no such policy announcement.

He said, “Instead, the government is implementing a gradual, structured transition from open grazing to modern ranching systems.”

Uchechukwu added that the Minister highlighted that Nigeria currently has 273 gazetted grazing reserves covering over 4.5 million hectares.

The Federal Government is collaborating with state governments to revitalise and equip these reserves, making them conducive for pastoralists and other livestock operators.

“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 said.

The minister emphasised that pastoralists, like other economic groups, require a structured business environment.

“The grazing reserves provided by law are meant to serve as business premises for all livestock activities. Our responsibility is to upgrade these reserves and facilitate their proper utilisation”. Accordingly, the Ministry said the public should disregard contrary or misleading reports and rely instead on official government communication channels for accurate information on livestock development policies.

Open grazing has been a thorny issue with those fiery against or for it. To douse tensions,the FG launched the National Livestock Transformation Plan, with the intension of modernising livestock production thus shifting toward ranching away from open grazing.

The policy was to stave violent farmer–herder conflicts, enhance productivity, and bring livestock farming to national economic goals.

Under this plan, the government proposed creating “RUGA” settlements (rural grazing areas) to house herders and their cattle permanently in designated areas. But the RUGA policy became controversial: many state governments, especially in central and South, rejected it, citing land rights and security concerns.

The newly recreated Ministry of Livestock Development’s preference for ranching with the caveat that this policy shift will be gradual, not an immediate ban on open grazing sounds plausible.
However, saying so without giving time lines to kickstart it may not mean anything. Also, the very fears in some quarters about government funding ranches instead of business owners adds to the controversies surrounding the policy.