{
  "id": 3667670,
  "title": "Farmers-herders crisis: Southern, M’Belt leaders reject FG ranching plan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/farmers-herders-crisis-southern-mbelt-leaders-reject-fg-ranching-plan-3667670",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T04:48:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/farmers-herders-crisis-southern-mbelt-leaders-reject-fg-ranching-plan/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Southern and Middle Belt leaders have rejected the Federal Government's proposed ranching plan. They express concerns that the plan could lead to land grabbing and the takeover of ancestral lands.\n\nThe Southern and Middle Belt Leaders' Forum (SMBLF) described the proposed pilot scheme for a new national livestock policy as opaque, coercive, and discriminatory. The leaders, including Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Dr Bitrus Pogu, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, and Ambassador Godknows Igali, warned that the initiative could eventually expand to Southern states if not properly addressed.\n\nThe proposed pilot areas include Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory, mostly located in the Middle Belt region. The leaders emphasized that they support modern livestock production and development of Nigeria's livestock value chain, but any policy must respect the rights of indigenous communities.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "This Day",
        "title": "Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Reject FG’s Ranching Plan, Warn against Land Seizure",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/southern-middle-belt-leaders-reject-fgs-ranching-plan-warn-against",
        "published": "2026-08-27T03:23:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Farmers-herders crisis: Southern, M’Belt leaders reject FG ranching plan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/farmers-herders-crisis-southern-mbelt-leaders-reject-fg-ranching-plan",
        "published": "2026-08-27T04:32:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}