Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Reject FG’s Ranching Plan, Warn against Land Seizure
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF), has rejected federal government’s proposed pilot scheme for a new national livestock policy, alleging that the initiative could
The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders' Forum (SMBLF) has rejected the federal government's proposed pilot scheme for a new national livestock policy, alleging it could result in the seizure of ancestral lands from communities in the Middle Belt. The statement, signed by Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Dr Bitrus Pogu, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, and Ambassador Godknows Igali, criticized the scheme as opaque, coercive, and discriminatory.
The SMBLF expressed concern over the initiative's focus on Middle Belt states Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory, despite the availability of underutilized land in other regions. They warned that without proper consultation and protection of land rights, the program could expand to Southern states.
The forum emphasized their support for modern livestock production and ranching but rejected the policy's opaque, coercive, and discriminatory approach. They challenged the government's interpretation of the 1978 Land Use Act, arguing it cannot be used for arbitrary land seizure. The SMBLF called on governments in Southern states to remain vigilant against any attempts to extend the policy to their territories and criticized the government's proposed program as a means to establish permanent settlement zones for nomadic Fulani herders in areas of past violent conflicts.
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