Photo: L-R: ACG Ogah Benson of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), representing the CG of NSCDC, Rear Admiral Yusuf Sani Idris, representing the Chief of Naval Staff, Chairman House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike Okafor, Maj. Gen. O. M. Dare, representative of the Chief of Army Staff and Director at DSS Headquarters, Iliyasu Sani, representing DG, DSS, at the 3rd Day of National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security.
Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede has called on the National Assembly to enact a law banning open grazing.
Oluyede called on the National Assembly to pass a bill banning open grazing as part of the solutions to the perennial problem of farmer-herder clashes, kidnappings, and violent attacks, which have been attributed to killer herdsmen.
The Nigerian Army Chief made the call on the final day of the 3-Day National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security organised by the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security with support from development partners.
The summit has as its theme: “Curbing Malnutrition and Food Insecurity Through Effective Synergies”.
Oluyede who was represented by the Executive Director, Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited, Major General O.M. Dare, averred that open grazing was no longer sustainable.
He asked the National Assembly to enact legislation to ban open grazing and provide ranching alternatives for herders, saying that the law would form part of the effective non-kinetic policies used to combat high-level insecurity in some parts of the country.
The Nigerian Army Chief noted that Nigeria’s growing population, the encroachment on grazing routes, hunger, malnutrition, and poverty fuel insecurity, hence the need for a multi-dimensional approach to addressing the problem.
He said: “The issue of food insecurity is give and take. Even if all security agencies are deployed to the farms, they cannot cover every farmland.
“There’s a need to embrace ranching, leverage technology, and ensure every state and local government gets involved. Security agencies should be empowered to focus on their constitutional duties.”
Reacting to a question from a participant at the summit, who asked how land would be obtained for ranching, upon the ban of open grazing, the Army Chief’s representative said as with some other laws and policies, ranching and the ban on open grazing will not implemented by fiat.
He said: “If we really want to stop the issue of herders-farmers’ clashes, there must be give and take. There is nobody saying land will be taken forcefully from the owner (for ranching), it is the government that will solve this problem. But we must be sincere and our thoughts on addressing this issue must be straight.
“If we are still talking of ‘this is my ancestral land, nobody can take it….We are not saying we must have ranches in every state; the ranches will be established in states willing to have them, and we can have pastures where grass can be planted, harvested and taken to where the animals will be fed. When you are used to a particular way of life of moving around from one place to another, for you to stop it, it would take government intervention and not the security approach. For security agencies, we only recommend that if you handle this problem this or that way, the problem will be solved. It is left for the legislature to make laws. And like you said, the implementation of any law will be gradual. You can’t enact a law and say, ‘End open grazing today’.
Oluyede assured that the Nigerian Army was fully committed to playing its constitutional role and would do all it takes to maintain the peace and stability of the nation.
He disclosed that the Nigerian Army has established various formations aimed at preventing farmer-herder clashes.
Also speaking at the summit, a representative of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, Rear Admiral Yusuf Sani Idris, disclosed that the Nigerian Navy has contributed immensely to the food security in the country through the establishment of Admiralty Farms Limited.
According to Idris, the Navy-owned company has operational farms across nearly all six geopolitical zones.
He explained that the farms provide both food security and physical security for farmers, while plans are underway to establish the farms in other parts of the country.
Also speaking through Assistant Commandant General Besong Michaels Ogar, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, told the summit that the NSCDC established the agro-rangers unit specifically to protect large farming settlements and large herds.
Audi said the NSDC collaborates with sister security agencies to protect farmers and herders from attacks. He further revealed that the NSCDC also created a mediation sub-unit within its agro-rangers department to resolve disputes between farmers and herdsmen.
He further disclosed that so far, the mediation sub-unit has resolved 4000 cases of dispute between herdsmen and famers.
He backed the call by the Nigerian Army for the National Assembly to come up with a legilslation that would help streamline herder and farmer activities, noting the tension over encroached cattle routes in the Middle Belt, Northeast, and Northwest.
Earlier in his welcome address the Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike Okafor, commended the Armed Forces and Security agencies, including the Department of State Services for working diligently to keep the country stable and for gallantly confronting violent groups and criminal gangs.
He noted that without keeping farmers and farmlands safe, other interventions by the government to improve food security and reduce malnutrition would not have the desired impact.
Okafor said: “Nigeria’s agricultural sector, the backbone of our economy and primary source of livelihood for millions, is under siege. Farmers face relentless threats; banditry, kidnapping, herder-farmer conflicts, and vandalism of irrigation infrastructure, which have stifled productivity and exacerbated food inflation. The result? Over 40% of farmlands in conflict-prone regions lie fallow, while millions face malnutrition.
“Our key appeals to security agencies include, enhanced patrols and rapid response. We urge the deployment of joint task forces to hotspot farming communities, leveraging intelligence-sharing to preempt attacks. The Navy and Air Force can monitor riverine and border routes often used by smugglers and armed groups.
“We also seek for the potection of critical infrastructure. We must safeguard storage facilities, agro-processing hubs, and transport corridors to reduce post-harvest losses (currently estimated at 40% due to insecurity”.
He added:” The Police and DSS should train farmer cooperatives in surveillance and conflict de-escalation, fostering trust and local resilience.
“This Committee has championed reforms, including the ongoing probe into agricultural funding mismanagement, and secured Vice President Shettima’s backing for the National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security. However, without your boots on the ground, these efforts cannot yield tangible outcomes. Let us adopt a “farm-to-table security framework”:
In his response to the presentations by the security chiefs present and the dialogue between them, lawmakers and other participants, Okafor, commended the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Commandant General of the NSDC as well as the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS) who was represented by a director from DSS Headquarters, Iliyasu Sani, for sending high-ranking officers to deliberate with lawmakers.
He expressed disappointment at the absence of the Nigerian Police Force.
He further commended the Army and Navy for investing in agriculture, noting that such major investments will help in boosting food production.