President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transitioning Nigeria away from open grazing towards modern and settled livestock production.
The President said the policy is part of broader efforts to protect farmlands, improve the livelihoods of pastoral communities and address one of the major sources of conflict between farmers and herders.
Tinubu’s position reflects the Federal Government’s push to modernise Nigeria’s livestock sector through structured production systems rather than continued reliance on open grazing.
The administration has argued that the transition could help reduce clashes between farming communities and pastoralists by creating more organised systems for livestock management.
The farmer-herder crisis has remained a major security and agricultural challenge in several parts of Nigeria, with conflicts over land and access to grazing routes contributing to violence and displacement in affected communities.
Tinubu’s administration established the Ministry of Livestock Development as part of efforts to give the sector greater institutional attention and develop a more modern livestock economy.
The President said the Federal Government’s approach is intended not only to reduce conflict but also to protect agricultural land and improve productivity within the livestock industry.
The transition away from open grazing has, however, remained politically sensitive, with different states adopting varying approaches to livestock management.
Some states have enacted laws restricting open grazing, while pastoralist groups and other stakeholders have raised concerns about the practicality and implications of the transition.
The Federal Government has continued to promote ranching and other settled livestock-production models as part of its long-term strategy.
Tinubu’s latest comments therefore place livestock reform within the broader national security and economic-development agenda of his administration.