The Federal Government has identified 470 gazetted and legally protected grazing reserves across the country as part of efforts to end open grazing and modernize Nigeria's livestock sector.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, disclosed the development while speaking on the implementation of the National Dairy Policy Framework and broader reforms aimed at transforming the livestock industry. According to the minister, the reserves will be rehabilitated and equipped to accommodate pastoralists and their herds in a more structured and productive environment.
Maiha explained that relocating herders into designated grazing reserves would improve disease surveillance, animal health management, and breed improvement programmes, while reducing the challenges associated with long-distance cattle movement. He noted that the practice of open grazing is no longer sustainable and contributes to low productivity within the livestock sector.
The minister further expressed optimism that the initiative would eventually bring an end to the sight of cattle roaming freely on streets and highways in major cities such as Abuja and Lagos.
The move forms part of ongoing federal efforts to transition Nigeria's livestock industry towards ranching and other modern livestock management systems. Government officials say the strategy is expected to enhance food security, increase dairy and meat production, reduce farmer-herder conflicts, and attract greater investment into the sector.
The development comes amid renewed national conversations on livestock management and the need for sustainable solutions to recurring clashes between farmers and herders in different parts of the country.
