Open Grazing is No Longer Sustainable – Northern Governors

The increasing number of Nigeria’s population is posing a great challenge to the current herding system of open grazing, making it no longer sustainable, Northern Governors have said.

The governors spoke during a virtual emergency meeting on Monday to discuss issues affecting the region and the country.

In a communique released on Tuesday in Jos after the meeting by the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and the Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong,  the governors expressed concerns over the growing tension from the eviction order issued to herdsmen in some parts of the country.

They added that the situation was heating the already fragile security atmosphere “with threats of reprisals which the Northern governors are working assiduously to contain.”

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The governors added that it is urgent for the Nigerian Governors Forum to meet and discuss the issue holistically with a view to resolving all areas of misunderstanding and conflicts arising from the threat and suspicion for the sake of national unity.

The communique read in part, “Consequently, the forum resolved to aggressively sensitise herdsmen to the need to adapt new methods of herding by ranching or other acceptable modern methods.

“It appeals to the Federal Government to support states with grants to directly undertake pilot projects of modern livestock production that will serve as springboard and evidence for breaking resistance to the full implementation of new methods of livestock production.

“The Forum resolved to engage elders and youths in a robust discussion with a view to dousing the tense security environment in the North. Accordingly, a four-man committee was put in place to be headed by the chairman of the Northern Governors Forum.”

The governors called for restraint from leaders, including those in the Southern part of the country, ‘where passion is high’ and urged “all the citizens of the North to continue to live in peace with all Nigerians, irrespective of their origins and backgrounds.”