Farmers/herders’ crisis: Military wants ranches established across states

The military high command, on Wednesday, appealed to Nigerians rearing cattle and other livestock animals to control the movement of their belongings by embracing ranching. This, it said, will address decade-long recurring clashes between farmers and herders, adding that ranching would help prevent the destruction of farmlands and reduce tensions. The Chief of Defence Staff, […]

The military high command, on Wednesday, appealed to Nigerians rearing cattle and other livestock animals to control the movement of their belongings by embracing ranching.

This, it said, will address decade-long recurring clashes between farmers and herders, adding that ranching would help prevent the destruction of farmlands and reduce tensions.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, made the call at Defence Headquarters, Abuja, when he briefed journalists on the forthcoming maiden edition of the African Chiefs of Defence Staff Conference, billed to hold from August 25 to 27.

Musa, a four-star general, who dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the government was advocating for ranching in order to take people’s land, explained that ranching would improve productivity for livestock owners.

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He stressed that the practice is a business venture that can be undertaken by interested individuals or state governments.

Musa added, “If state governments are interested in their own regions, they should do that. They can also show model ranch farms for people to do. But what we’re saying is that for us to address this security situation, we must stop animals from going into farms.”

On defence manufacturing, Musa said Nigeria was rebranding its Defence Industries Corporation to harmonise local production, standardise equipment, and prevent military hardware from getting into the wrong hands.

According to him, the country was procuring armoured vehicles, drones, and other hardware from local firms such as ProForce and Imperium, and was also repairing damaged equipment to extend their lifespan.