COAS URGES NASS TO BAN OPEN GRAZING, PROPOSES RANCHING POLICY TO TACKLE FOOD INSECURITY
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Agency report
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, on Thursday called on the National Assembly to enact legislation making ranching a national policy, as a lasting solution to the persistent herders-farmers conflict that continues to worsen food insecurity across the country.
Speaking at the National Summit on Food, Nutrition, and Food Security, organized by the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security in Abuja, Oluyede emphasized that the traditional practice of open grazing has become unsustainable in today’s context.
Represented by Major General Olufemi Dare, Executive Director of Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited, the Army Chief stressed the urgency of passing a law to prohibit open grazing while providing pastoralists with viable ranching alternatives.
“We must consult widely. The issue of open grazing can no longer work in Nigeria. The National Assembly must come up with legislation to curb open grazing. And before you stop open grazing, which is a culture that some people have been used to, you must provide an alternative, and what is the alternative? Ranching. We know that the government has come up with various policies, but we always introduce either religion or ethnicity to various policies.
“For you to stop open grazing on farmland, you must provide land for grazing. Even if you engage all the military and other security agencies to cover our farmland, we cannot cover every farmland. We must embrace ranching, leverage technology, and ensure every state and local government gets involved. Security agencies should be empowered to focus on their constitutional duties.”
He further noted that the Nigerian Army has established various formations aimed at preventing farmer-herder clashes.
Also speaking, Rear Admiral Yusuf Sani Idris, who represented the Chief of Naval Staff, spoke on the contribution of the Nigerian Navy to food security through the establishment of Admiralty Farms Limited, with operational farms across nearly all six geopolitical zones.
He explained that the farms provide both food security and physical security for farmers, while plans are underway to expand to other zones.
Representative of the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Assistant Commandant General Besong Michaels Ogar, stressed the need for timely information sharing to address security breaches affecting farms.
He urged the National Assembly to help streamline herder and farmer activities, by addressing the issues of cattle routes in the Middle Belt, North East and North West.
Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon.Chike Okafor, in his remark, reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to ensuring a safer and food-secure Nigeria, adding that peace and security are vital for both farmers and security agencies alike.
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