Convert Unused Public Land Into Ranches To Resolve Herdsmen, Farmers Crisis- Tinubu

A former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has called on government in Nigeria to fence unused public land and convert it to grazing areas or ranches where Herdsmen can raise their animals.

Tinubu, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, said government should charge nominal fees for using the facilities when they are ready.

To make livestock farmers stay in such confined places rather than grazing their animals everywhere, he said feeds and water should be provided for them.

Tinubu, who is believed to be seeking to contest the 2023 presidential election, said these in a statement on Saturday.

According to him open grazing is no longer tenable and he suggested that herdsmen should be assisted to transit to modern method of doing their business to increase their profits and to boost food production in the country.

If followed, Tinubu said, the suggestion would also address the problem of killing and destruction of property which had been on the increase in the recent times.

He said, ” Unoccupied public land can be fenced into grazing areas or ranches and leased to herders on a very low-cost, nominal basis. The leasing is not intended to penalize herders. Rather, the nominal fee is intended to ensure the herders are invested in the project and incentivized (by reason of their investment) to use the land provided.

” This aspect will also mitigate any resentment over herders being given land for free. Government, in turn, being a responsible lessor, must help with supplemental feed and water in these areas. This will enable herders to better maintain and care for their livestock thus enhancing their incomes.

” Herders can augment income by becoming suppliers to the leather goods industry. Additionally, herders can also develop a more symbiotic relationship with farmers by, for example, trading animal compost to the farmer in exchange for animal feed.”

The former Lagos State governor also suggested that government should assist farmers by providing subvention to acquire fertilizer, irrigation, equipment and machinery.

He also advocated creation of commodity boards to guarantee minimum prices for important crops.

“Assist farmers increase productivity by supporting or providing subvention for their acquisition of fertilizer, equipment and machinery and, also, by establishing commodity boards to guarantee minimum prices for important crops.

“In the medium to long term, resources must be dedicated to establishing better irrigation and water catchment systems to further improve farm productivity and mitigate the dire impact of flood and drought cycles brought about by extreme climatic conditions,” he added.

Tinubu also said government should establish a permanent panel in each state as a forum for farmers, herders, security officials and senior state officials to discuss their concerns, mitigate contention and identify trouble and douse it before it erupts.

The APC chieftain also restated the call for creation of state police. He said this would assist in solving the problem of growing insecurity in the country.

This aside, he called for payment of compensation to farmers who have suffered losses and herders who had lost their animals as well.

He said, “Both innocent and law-abiding farmer and herder need to be recompensed for the losses they have suffered. Both need further assistance to break the current cycle of violence and poverty. In short, the continued progressive reform of many of our rural socio-economic relationships is called for.

‘Based on these strategic observations, I recommend the Federal Government convene a meeting of state governors, senior security officials, herder and farmer representatives, along with traditional rulers and religious leaders. The purpose of this meeting would be to hammer out a set of working principles to resolve the crisis.

“After this meeting, governors of each state should convene follow-up meetings in their states to refine and add flesh to the universal principles by adjusting them to the particular circumstances of their states. In addition to religious and traditional leaders and local farmer and herder representatives, these meetings shall include the state’s best security minds along with experts in agriculture (livestock and farming), land use and water management to draw specific plans for their states.”