National Economic Council recommends banning nomadic herdsmen and urges the use of ranches

NIGERIA'S National Economic Council (NEC) has recommended a ban on the movement of herdsmen across the country as a way of stopping the incessant killings being carried by Fulani pastoralists.

Over recent weeks, there has been an upsurge in attacks by Fulani cattle herdsmen across Nigeria's Middle Belt , particularly in Benue State, where hundreds have died of late. Earlier this year, the NEC decided to look into the matter and has now come up with recommendations calling for a ban on open grazing in five states where the killings are most pronounced.

States where the ban will first take effect are expected to include Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna and Plateau. Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi disclosed the outcome of the NEC meeting presided over by vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo earlier today, adding that ranching would be adopted in the five states, while the state governments would provide lands for that purpose.

Governor Umahi said the decision was taken after he submitted the report of a technical committee on farmers and herdsmen conflicts which he presented to the council. According to the governor, the committee identified causes of the conflicts to include media perception, competition for scarce resources, banditry through cattle rustling and kidnapping among other things.

“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 also condemn the issues of foreign invasion by foreign herdsmen and l am happy that the federal government is doing something about it. 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 land," Governor Umahi added.

He added that already, Niger and Kaduna states have given land for ranches and Plateau is in the process of giving land too. According to Governor Umahi, ranching is being practised in Mambila in Taraba State and they have success stories to tell, which is going to be used as a blueprint in other states.