Governors in the North on Tuesday described open grazing by herdsmen as obsolete. It should end, they declared.
This decision was the outcome of, a meeting of Northern Nigeria Governors Forum, held virtually.
The decision is in line with the position of Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who said herders should embrace ranching and stop herding their cows from the North to the South is search of pasture.
The Senate has warned that should the farmers-herders conflict be allowed to fester, it could lead to ethno-religious war and famine.
The North’s governors, according to the meeting communiqué issued by its chairman, Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong, have decided to sensitise herdsmen on the need to adopt ranching and other acceptable modern methods.
They said the current system of herding conducted mainly through open grazing is no longer sustainable in view of growing urbanication and population of the country
Consequently, the Forum resolved to aggressively sensitise herdsmen”.
They appealed to the Federal Government to support States with grants to directly undertake pilot projects of modern livestock production that will serve as springboard and evidence for breaking resistance to the full implementation of new methods of livestock production.
They also resolved to engage elders and youths in a robust discussion with a view to dousing the tensed security environment in the north.
A four-man Committee to be headed by Lalong was raised to work out the plan to educate herders.
The forum called for restraint from leaders, including those in the South, where passion is high. They also called on citizens of the North to continue to live in peace with all Nigerians, irrespective of their origin and background.