As the 2027 general election draws nearer, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renewed his administration’s commitment to phasing out open grazing and replacing it with a nationwide ranching system, framing the policy as a long-term solution to farmer–herder conflicts, food insecurity, and worsening national insecurity.
Tinubu reiterated this position while addressing state governors and other stakeholders, stressing that Nigeria can no longer afford the economic losses and bloodshed associated with open grazing. According to the president, persistent clashes between farmers and herders have disrupted agricultural production, displaced communities, and deepened insecurity in several parts of the country, particularly in the Middle Belt and northern regions.
He argued that ranching represents a more modern, sustainable, and secure livestock management system, capable of boosting productivity, reducing conflicts over land, and integrating pastoral activities into the formal economy. Tinubu also linked the reform to broader national security efforts, noting that unchecked movement of livestock across states has increasingly intersected with banditry, arms proliferation, and rural violence.
The renewed push comes against the backdrop of ongoing deliberations at the National Economic Council (NEC), where the Federal Government has tasked a committee to develop a clear roadmap for livestock transformation. The committee is expected to work with states to identify suitable locations, funding models, and implementation strategies for ranching, while taking into account regional peculiarities.
However, the timing of the renewed emphasis has drawn attention. With barely about a year to the 2027 general election, analysts say the policy revival is inevitably being viewed through a political lens. Ranching and open grazing remain emotionally charged issues, cutting across ethnic, regional, and religious lines, and have featured prominently in past electoral debates.
Supporters of the policy argue that Tinubu is attempting to confront a problem successive governments either avoided or handled cautiously due to its political sensitivity. Critics, however, question whether the renewed commitment will translate into concrete action, noting that similar promises in the past — including grazing reserves and livestock reform initiatives — stalled amid resistance, funding challenges, and lack of consensus among states.
The Federal Government has clarified that the shift from open grazing to ranching will be gradual, with states expected to play a central role, in line with Nigeria’s federal structure. This approach, officials say, is aimed at preventing social dislocation while encouraging buy-in from pastoral communities and farmers alike.
As campaign calculations for 2027 quietly gather momentum, Tinubu’s ranching reform pledge is shaping up as both a policy statement and a political signal — one that will be closely watched to see whether it delivers tangible change on the ground or joins the long list of unresolved national reform promises.
Abuja Network News
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