In the dusty farmlands of Benue State, where the scars of conflict run as deep as the roots of yam tubers, a policy shift announced weeks ago has stirred both hope and unease across Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu’s administration has moved to classify open grazing as a capital offence, signalling an end to a nomadic herding system long blamed for deadly clashes between farmers and herders. As the country absorbs the shock of the announcement, one question dominates the national conversation: will this bold step finally calm Nigeria’s blood-soaked fields, or will it fade like past reforms that promised much and delivered little?
Key highlights
- The Federal Government signals an end to open grazing amid rising insecurity
- A phased transition to ranching replaces talk of an immediate nationwide ban
- Over 100,000 lives lost since 2001 underscore the urgency of reform
- Economic projections put Nigeria’s livestock potential at $74 billion
- Enforcement gaps and ethnic tensions threaten policy success
The announcement was made on November 25, 2025, during the inauguration of the National Council on Livestock Development in Yola, Adamawa State. Livestock Minister Alhaji Mukhtar Maiha, addressing state directors and federal officials, declared that open grazing must stop to curb the cycle of killings, property destruction and mass displacement linked to herder-farmer violence. He urged cattle owners to embrace ranching, arguing that it offers safer operations and higher productivity, with the potential to transform livestock into a pillar of the Nigerian economy rivaling oil revenues.
Within days, however, the initial tone was softened. Maiha clarified that there would be no abrupt nationwide ban, explaining that the government had opted for a gradual and structured transition. Central to this plan are 273 gazetted grazing reserves covering more than 4.5 million hectares, which are to be converted into regulated business zones for livestock operators. President Tinubu reinforced this approach in a national address, calling on herder groups to abandon open grazing and surrender illegal weapons, while presenting the newly created Livestock Ministry as a key tool for restoring peace.
Nigeria’s struggle with open grazing is deeply rooted. For centuries, Fulani pastoral traditions coexisted uneasily with settled farming communities. As population growth, desertification and shrinking arable land intensified competition, tensions escalated into violence. Since 2001, herder-farmer clashes have claimed more than 100,000 lives and displaced over two million people, making the crisis one of the country’s deadliest security challenges. Benue State alone recorded 119 attacks in 2023, leaving more than 500 dead, while Plateau State has lost about 7,000 lives since 2000. The economic toll is equally severe, with Nigeria importing about $560 million worth of milk annually despite its vast cattle population.
Past efforts to reform the sector, including the 2016 grazing reserve bill and various livestock intervention programmes, collapsed under ethnic suspicion and weak political will. Tinubu’s policy, tied to a broader security push that includes recruiting 20,000 police officers and deploying forest guards, is being framed as a fresh attempt to break that cycle.
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Supporters believe the strategy could succeed. Ranching confines cattle to designated areas, reducing crop destruction and the retaliatory attacks that often follow. Tinubu has described ranching as the only sustainable path to peace and prosperity, noting its potential to create jobs and curb banditry. Global examples from Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil show how modern livestock systems can drive exports and national growth. In Nigeria, advocates argue, ranching could unlock the projected $74 billion livestock economy and reduce dependence on imports.
Some states have welcomed the move. Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia has described the ranching shift as necessary to protect farmlands, while public opinion on social media reflects cautious optimism. Calls for a total ban on open grazing have gained traction, with supporters linking it to a sharp reduction in rural insecurity.
Critics remain unconvinced. They argue that the policy is weakened by ambiguity, with no clear timeline or enforcement framework. Editorials have warned that reviving poorly maintained grazing reserves ignores global best practice, while reports indicate that only 11 states have fully embraced ranching in 2025. Resistance from herders, many of whom fear cultural erasure and land dispossession, further complicates implementation. Ethnic mistrust, funding constraints and the absence of state policing add to the challenge.
On the ground, tensions persist. Communities in parts of Rivers State have chased herders from farmlands, demanding enforcement, while northern voices warn against vigilante excesses even as they concede the need for reform. Analysts argue that coexistence may be unavoidable in the short term, but acknowledge that ranching represents the future.
Tinubu’s gamble remains fragile. A decisive ban could sharply reduce insecurity, but gradualism risks prolonging violence. With Nigeria ranked among the world’s most terror-affected countries in 2025, the cost of delay is high. If the administration matches rhetoric with resolve, the open grazing reform could mark a turning point. If not, the bloodstained fields of Benue and Plateau may yet claim more lives.
