Farmers-herders crisis: Southern, M’Belt leaders reject FG ranching plan

Southern and Middle Belt leaders have rejected the Federal Government's proposed ranching plan. They express concerns that the plan could lead to the takeover of ancestral lands belonging to communities in the region. The leaders, who include Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Dr Bitrus Pogu, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, and Ambassador Godknows Igali, describe the proposed scheme as opaque, coercive, and discriminatory.

The proposed pilot areas for the scheme include Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory, mostly located in the Middle Belt. The leaders warn that if the scheme proceeds without adequate consultation and protection of community land rights, it could eventually expand to the Southern states.

The leaders do not oppose modern livestock production, ranching, or development of Nigeria's livestock value chain, but insist that any policy must respect the rights of indigenous communities.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, This Day — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.