According to NIVONEWS, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has urged the National Assembly to enact a law prohibiting open grazing, identifying it as a key step in addressing the recurring farmer-herder clashes, kidnappings, and violent attacks linked to marauding herdsmen.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking at the conclusion of the 3-Day National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security, organised by the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security with the support of development partners, Oluyede—represented by Maj. Gen. O.M. Dare, Executive Director of Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited—argued that open grazing was no longer viable and must be replaced with modern alternatives.

He advocated for ranching as a sustainable solution and called for legislative action to back it, stating that banning open grazing and introducing structured ranching would serve as a non-kinetic tool to reduce insecurity. According to NIVONEWS, Oluyede emphasized that Nigeria’s growing population, environmental degradation, food insecurity, and poverty all contribute to heightened insecurity, making the situation urgent.

“The problem of food insecurity won’t be solved by deploying security forces alone. We must combine technology, community involvement, and practical policies. Ranching is key. We don’t expect the change to be abrupt—it will require government intervention, not brute enforcement,” he stated.

Addressing concerns about land availability for ranching, he clarified that the government would not seize ancestral lands and that ranches would only be developed in willing states. He proposed the use of pasture farms to produce feed for livestock in ranches, adding that implementing the ban on open grazing must be gradual and inclusive.

He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to maintaining peace and disclosed that it had created formations to specifically prevent farmer-herder conflicts.

Rear Admiral Yusuf Sani Idris, who represented the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, also spoke at the summit, noting that the Navy had established Admiralty Farms Limited, with operational farms in nearly all geopolitical zones. The farms, he said, provide both food and physical security, and there are plans to expand further.

On its part, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), through Assistant Commandant General Besong Michaels Ogar, reiterated its commitment to food security. He revealed that the NSCDC’s agro-rangers unit had resolved over 4,000 disputes between farmers and herders and backed the Army’s call for legislation to regulate herder-farmer relations.

According to NIVONEWS, the Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Hon. Chike Okafor, in his welcome address, commended the Armed Forces and intelligence agencies for their efforts in confronting violent groups and protecting farmers. He noted that without securing agricultural areas, other government interventions would have limited effect on nutrition and food security.

“Our farmlands are under siege from banditry, kidnappings, and vandalism. Over 40% of arable land lies abandoned in conflict-prone zones,” Okafor lamented, calling for joint task forces, protection of agro-infrastructure, and training for farmer cooperatives in surveillance.

In closing, he praised the Chief of Army Staff and other security leaders for deploying senior officers to the summit and engaging in meaningful dialogue with lawmakers and stakeholders. According to NIVONEWS, this collaborative engagement underscores the urgent need for policy-driven solutions to Nigeria’s food and security crises.

”NIVONEWS REPORTS”