Joseph Bakare
The National Economic Council (NEC) has recommended a ban on open grazing across the country in order to stop the incessant Fulani, Farmers conflicts and killings.
The NEC, which is chaired by the Vice-President has all state governors, the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and relevant ministers as members.
Speaking to newsmen after their meeting in Abuja, Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi said the open grazing ban will start from five states — Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna and Plateau, being the states in which the crisis and killings are prevalent.
He explained that ranching will be adopted as alternative to open grazing while the state government will provide lands adding that “ranching is being practised in Mambila in Taraba State and they have success stories.”
He explained further: “In all, we agreed that movement is not profitable to the herdsmen because they value the milk from the cow even more than the cow itself.
“So, movement is not healthy for the cows as it dries up the meat and give less than two litres of milk per cow per day.
“We condemn the issues of foreign invasion by foreign herdsmen and l am happy that the FG is doing something about it.
“We also agreed that these movements have to stop and occasionally by those who have settled and integrated from other parts of the country like the middle belt, they sometimes go into conflicts with farmers.
“So, in all we agreed that there is a more profitable and modern way of raising these cows which is by ranching. So, we have agreed that the states involved are going to give lands. Niger and Kaduna have given lands and Plateau is also giving land.