Buhari To Ban Cattle Roaming In Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari[/caption]
The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to ban cattle roaming across the country within the next two years.
This information was disclosed by the minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who represent President Muhammadu Buhari at the 19th Regional Implementation Forum for International Fund for Agricultural Development-supported projects in West and Central Africa, held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The minister assured herdsmen that the government will allocate grazing fields where cattles would be restricted to, adding that grass seedlings would be imported and planted in the reserved areas.
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He stressed that the President was concerned about the growing rate of clashes which has claimed plenty of innocent lives across the country, as a result of herdsmen taking their livestock to graze on people’s farmland.
The president was also keen on the need for the government to invest in youths, and according to him there is a growing trend of young Nigerians leaving the rural areas for towns and cities.
He said: “This is why our government has decided that grasslands in large portions around the country will be created and improved grass seeds will be brought in from other countries, which have gone ahead of us to create the desired grass that will make it unnecessary for the herdsmen to roam about. So in the in next 18 to 24 months, we assure you that no cattle will roam about in this country.
“We need young women and men who can invest in cattle rearing and milk production as this must not be left only to the Fulani herdsmen. Feeding cattle has been an issue, which we need to address. We have given support to rice, wheat and cassava farmers; also to cocoa producers.
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“This is why our government has decided that grasslands in large portions around the country will be created and improved grass seeds will be brought in from other countries which have gone ahead of us to create the desired grass that will make it unnecessary for the herdsmen to roam.
“While our ageing farming population is attuned to the traditional methods of agriculture production, the increasing complex agricultural value chains, grades and standards that are integral to agricultural transformation today require the emplacement of a new generation of farmers, favorably disposed to innovation and risk taking.”
