FG denies nationwide ban on open-grazing

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…Says transition to ranching is ongoing The Federal Government has dismissed reports claiming it has imposed a nationwide ban on open-grazing, describing them as false and misleading. In a statement issued yesterday, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said no such policy had been announced. Instead, he explained, the government is pursuing a phased and carefully planned transition from open-grazing to modern ranching systems. Mukhtar revealed that Nigeria currently has 273 gazetted grazing reserves spanning more than 4.5 million hectares. According to him, the Federal Government is collaborating…

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Senate passes Bill against open-grazing

Senate on open grazing

The 10tg Senate has passed a Bill to establish the National Animal Husbandry and Ranches Commission, after a heated debate yesterday. The legislation, titled: A Bill for an act to Establish National Animal Husbandary and Ranches Commission for the Regulation, Management, Preservation and Control of Ranches throughout Nigeria; and for connected purpose, 2024, was sponsored by Titus Zam, the Senator representing Benue North-west. Explaining the general principles of the bill, Zam canvassed the need for the proposed Commission to manage, regulate, and preserve ranches across the country. He said: The…

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“I won’t sign anti-Open Grazing Bill” Gov. Ayade vows

Says herdsmen are his brothers  Cross-River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade has vowed not to sign the Anti-Open Grazing Bill into law in the State. Recall that Southern governors recently agreed to ban open-grazing and had given a timeline for laws to be enacted to that effect. Some governors in the southern region had already signed the Bill into law, while those that are yet to do so have such Bills at different stages of legislation. According to reports, in a conference on Thursday, in his office in Calabar, Governor…

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Anti-open grazing: “el-Rufa’is attack on Southern govs devious” ? Akeredolu

…Says it’s a hysteric ploy to externalise banditry  The Chairman of the South West Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, has lambasted the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufa’i, on his position that the anti-open grazing law promulgated by some southern governors is not implementable. Akeredolu described el-Rufais attack on Southern governors as devious and a hysteric ploy to externalise banditry, saying the statement credited to Kaduna State governor showed that el-Rufa’i belongs to a class of an unenviable ilk masquerading as leaders. Akeredolu, in a statement signed by his Commissioner for Information…

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Masari backs Southern governors, says open-grazing is un-Islamic

’Evacuate all herders from South’ – Northern Coalition urges FG Katsina State governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has backed the decision of the Southern Governors to ban open-grazing in the seventeen States of the region. Masari described the practice which encourages herders to move from one location to another as ‘un-Islamic’. The governor stated this while speaking with newsmen at Government House, Katsina, as part of activities to mark second year of his second-term in office. He argued that necessary infrastructure on livestock farming should be provided in States for ranching…

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Open-grazing ban: Northern elders declare position, call for national dialogue

The Northern Elders Forum, (NEF), has declared support for the ban on open-grazing by governors of the southern States. Recall that bout 17 southern governors had held an emergency meeting in Asaba, Delta State to proffer solutions to increasing security issues in the country and there they announced the ban on open and called for restructuring. The NEF said that it supports any programmed transition that will eliminate open-grazing and the establishment of productive, safe and sustainable options in managing the countrys huge national asset in animal husbandry. In a…

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