Key Takeaways
- Nigeria's National Ranching Policy is being piloted in five states and the FCT, with Wase grazing reserve in Plateau serving as the operational model.
- Abuja has 33,000 hectares reserved for livestock settlements, yet cattle still appear on major roads and built-up areas.
- Miyetti Allah supports ranching but warns that pastoralists need water, veterinary services, schools and security before relocation can succeed.
- Benue's governor has vowed that no ranch will be built in the state without approval from his government and the people.
Nigeria's cattle industry remains largely free-range despite the federal government's renewed push for ranching. The National Ranching Policy, now being tested in five states and the Federal Capital Territory, aims to replace nomadic herding with stationary livestock production. But on the streets of Abuja, cows still wander through busy traffic, raising doubts about how quickly the policy can deliver visible change.
Abuja Residents Live With Cows on City Streets
For many residents, cattle are now an accepted part of daily life. Peace Matthew Paul said: "Cows are now part of our daily lives. We encounter them every day." Others reject that acceptance. Sandra Ike said: "It is not normal for cows to move in the capital city. Here is not a village." Traders such as Miracle Ibe complain that cattle damage goods displayed near transport parks, while some residents suspect that influential owners make enforcement difficult.
The FCT administration has reserved about 33,000 hectares outside the metropolis for new livestock settlements, and the federal government plans to move around 30,000 cattle to the Kawu grazing reserve in Bwari Area Council. The 9,000-hectare reserve already hosts an estimated 30,000 cattle and about 10,000 people. Six motorised boreholes are planned, while a dam will support dry-season pasture cultivation. Still, residents say these projects have not yet changed what they see on the streets.
Miyetti Allah: Policy Welcome, But Infrastructure Is Key
Saleh Alhassan, national secretary of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, said the association backs the government's ranching initiative. "We feel it is a welcome development. We are ready to key into the policy," he said. He added, however, that the policy should not serve only wealthy commercial livestock investors. "Is it meant for pastoralists or to serve commercial farmers?" he asked.
Alhassan argued that pastoralists need an enabling environment, including schools, health clinics, veterinary services and reliable water sources. He noted that much of Abuja was traditionally grazing land before the capital was built, and called for a deliberate sedentarisation policy supported by developed reserves. Without these facilities, he said, forcing herders away from established routes could create another layer of conflict.
State Divisions and Progress
The policy is also facing political resistance. Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia told community representatives: "Nobody will force us to cede even an inch of our land to pastoralists for any purpose." In Niger State, 23 grazing reserves have been identified, but reports indicate none is fully functional. Bandit attacks have also stalled projects such as the Bobi grazing reserve.
Some states are moving forward. Gombe State is rehabilitating reserves through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, with veterinary clinics, boreholes and earth dams being built. Kano's Dansoshiya grazing reserve is being transformed into an agro-pastoral hub with a school, market, clinic and milk collection centre. These examples show that infrastructural investment, not policy announcements, determines whether herders will settle.
Why This Matters
Abuja's cattle problem is a decisive test for Nigeria's ranching policy. Designated hectares will only matter if they become functioning communities with water, feed, veterinary care, security and social services; otherwise, cattle will continue crossing the capital's busiest roads and conflict will keep repeating.