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The Federal Government has identified five states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the pilot implementation of its National Ranching Policy, as part of efforts to address recurring farmer-herder clashes and modernize livestock production in Nigeria.

Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, disclosed this after briefing President Bola Tinubu on the ministry’s activities at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The states selected for the pilot programme are Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Adamawa, alongside the FCT.

Maiha said the pilot would begin at the Wase Grazing Reserve in Plateau State, which will serve as a proof of concept for the government’s new approach to livestock production.

According to the minister, the selected locations have experienced some of the highest incidences of farmer-herder conflicts in recent years, making them strategic for testing the ranching model.

He explained that the movement of large numbers of cattle across communities had become increasingly difficult as grazing routes have disappeared because of farming, urbanisation and infrastructure development.

“Our understanding is that large numbers of cattle on the move are crisis-prone because grazing routes have disappeared due to farming, urbanisation and infrastructure development.

“Nomadism, as we know it, is no longer sustainable and we need a different concept,” Maiha said.

Under the new policy, the government plans to encourage pastoralists to keep their animals in designated ranching locations instead of moving them over long distances in search of pasture and water.

Maiha said the government was also shifting from the traditional practice of taking livestock to available pasture towards producing feed close to where the animals are kept.

“Today, we go and fetch the grass and bring it where the animals are. Better still, grow the grass where the animals are,” he said.

The minister added that genetically developed grasses with the nutritional value required for livestock would form part of the new feeding system.

Beyond livestock management, the ranching policy is expected to create new economic opportunities within host communities.

Maiha said the government would provide basic infrastructure such as housing, veterinary clinics, schools, primary healthcare centres, solar lighting and water facilities in designated ranching communities.

He added that the grazing reserves would gradually develop into economic hubs capable of attracting businesses involved in milk processing, meat processing, modular abattoirs, bio-digesters and other livestock-related activities.

“Imagine what you are going to have if you have 30,000 herds of cattle in one area. The milk collection alone will attract processors and many other investments,” he said.

For businesses across Nigeria’s livestock value chain, the development could create opportunities beyond cattle rearing. Increased concentration of livestock in designated locations could support demand for animal feed producers, veterinary services, dairy processors, cold-chain operators, meat processors, transporters, equipment suppliers and other agribusinesses.

The minister said the Federal Government had already engaged more than 34 pastoral organisations as part of efforts to build wider support for the policy.

He disclosed that the ministry recently met pastoralist leaders under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, and plans to hold another engagement within two weeks.

The continued consultations are expected to help address concerns among pastoralists and other stakeholders as the government moves to implement the ranching model.

The National Ranching Policy represents a major shift from open grazing and long-distance cattle movement towards a more structured livestock production system.

If successfully implemented, the government expects the model to reduce pressure on farming communities, limit conflicts between farmers and herders, improve livestock productivity and stimulate investment across Nigeria’s livestock value chain.