Get Guardian on GoogleThe Federal Government has ordered cattle rearers nationwide to move their animals into grazing reserves as part of efforts to end the persistent farmer-herder clashes.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, made the call during a two-day media retreat for beat journalists yesterday in Abuja. He revealed that a roundtable dialogue had been convened with the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammed Sa’ad III, and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to ensure that cows or other animals are not allowed to roam the cities and towns in search of pasture, but instead be relocated to ranches in line with efforts to bring about lasting peace.
The minister said: “All the animals roaming Abuja city centre will have to be relocated to the grazing reserves. And we mean it, and we are going to do it; it is going to happen.
“We want peace, we need peace to develop. We are working with every government and every security agency in this country to achieve that.” He added that the ministry would embark on a national peace campaign to achieve sustainable calm between farmers and herders, ethnic association groups, as well as warring communities across the federation.
The minister called on the media to change the narrative from stigma to enlig htenment of Nigerians to know the sector better, noting that for the industry to develop, all hands must be on deck.
