Livestock rearing in Nigeria is common with nomadic Fulanis who often migrate around the country in search of green fields or patches for their herds.
While these usually large flock move across fields, there have been reported cases of damages to crops leading to clashes between the herders and the indigent farmers.
According to Wikipedia definition, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to consume wild vegetation in order to convert grass and other forages into meat, milk, wool and other animal products, often on land unsuitable for arable farming.
Historically, grazing has existed since the birth of agriculture; sheep and goats were domesticated by nomads before the first permanent settlements were created around 7000 BC, enabling cattle and pigs to be kept.
While Nigeria still embraces this method of livestock rearing, experts have argued that this is mundane and non-confirming to 21st century methods of breeding.
Recently, these clashes, which have posed serious threats to the safety of farmers in the country, have attracted global discourse with many saying it may throw the country into food crisis.
Fingers have, over the period in review, pointed at the government for the worsening crisis especially in the southern part of the country. This led to a meeting of southern governors who called for a ban on grazing after some of the states and sub-regions had made the move.
Subsequently, in February, the Nigerian Governors Forum, which has all the 36 states in the country represented, said it had reached a consensus on the “need for the country to transition into modern systems of animal husbandry that will replace open, night, and underage grazing in the country”.
While the dust on the ban was still yet to settle and with pockets of clashes making headlines, President Muhammadu Buhari, in an interview on Arise TV, gave an approval to the return of open grazing practiced during the First Republic, where herdsmen used designated grazing routes to move cattle to several parts of the country.
The President said he had instructed the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to begin the process of recovering land from persons who have converted cattle grazing routes for their personal use.
Recall that, the AGF had kicked against the declaration by 17 Southern Governors to ban open grazing, noting that it is like Northern Governors banning spare parts trading.
President Buhari, in his response on the decision by the Southern Governors, said, “You want me to contradict my Attorney General?
“What I did was ask him to go and dig the gazette of the First Republic when people were obeying laws. There were cattle routes and grazing areas. Cattle routes were for when they (herdsmen) are moving up country, north to south or east to west, they had to go through there.
“If you allow your cattle to stray into any farm, you are arrested. The farmer is invited to submit his claims. The Khadi or the judge will say pay this amount and if you can’t the cattle is sold.
“And if there is any benefit, you are given and people were behaving themselves and in the grazing areas, they built dams, put windmills in some places there were even veterinary departments so that the herders are limited.
“Their route is known, their grazing area is known. So, I asked for the gazette to make sure that those who encroached on these cattle routes and grazing areas will be dispossessed in law and try to bring some order back into the cattle grazing.”
Speaking further, the President flayed Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, for his utterances, implementation of an aggressive anti-open grazing law and for accusing him of failing to take actions against herdsmen because he is also a member of the Fulani herders.
Buhari said he is indeed a Fulani man but Ortom was being unfair to him, adding that he had told the governor that the herdsmen perpetrating the attacks are not the Nigerian Fulani.
“The problem is trying to understand the culture of the cattle rearers. There is a cultural difference between the Tiv and the Fulani. So, the governor of Benue said I am not disciplining the cattle rearers because I am one of them.
“I cannot say I am not one of them but he is being very unfair to me and I told him that the Nigerian cattle rearer was not carrying anything more than a stick, sometime with a machete to cut some trees and feed his cattle but those sophisticated ones move with AK 47.
“So, from other areas, people rush to Nigeria. You know Fulani from Mauritania and Central Africa look the same, so they feel they are the Nigerian ones and I assure you that we are trying to resuscitate these cattle routes, grazing areas and make them accountable.”
“These governors campaigned and won elections, they should be able to sort out issues arising in their localities, not running to the presidency.
“You know these people more than I do, and you are democratically elected to protect your people. Don’t sit idly expecting me to do everything, take action,” President Buhari added.
Experts in animal breeding had, in times past, advocated for a modern system in Nigeria.
They argued that advanced countries restrict cattle in a confined space while feeding them with hay and other supplements. This, according to them, reduces the stress of continuous grazing and exposure to attacks from even wild animals.
A report on Farmers Joint in Livestock Farming noted that “when it comes to ruminant farming, Nigeria still practice the archaic system of nomadic grazing and cut-and-carry system from bushes. In countries like Kenya, livestock farmers grow grass to feed their animals. Many Nigerians may find this laughable but it is far better than what we’re used to.
“Growing your own grass means that you are sure that feed supply will be enough to meet your animals’ need. It is also hygienic.
“When I was young, we had some goats and I was the one that feed them. I normally went to bushes to cut grass. One thing that worried me so much is the eye-sores I normally encounter. I would always have to cope with the sight of human faeces here and there. In fact, that was the main thing that discouraged me from goat farming.
“Now that I have discovered grass growing, rearing ruminants now look very attractive. I can grow the grass during the rainy season and preserve excess by making hay or silage with them.
“Even with the excessive rainfall, hay can still be made with an artificial dryer and the grass don’t need to be dried to make silage. In addition to grass, one can also grow leguminous plants like desmodium, stylosanthes guianensis etc to serve as a protein source.”
While recommendations such as these and more from Nigeria’s Research Institutes are opposing the country’s animal breeding status quo, it is expected that a deeper look at controlled breeding be taken to avert further loss of lives from these clashes.
