The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development is taking concrete steps to end open grazing in Abuja by accelerating the development of three grazing reserves in the nation’s capital. Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, assured livestock reporters at the 2024 Media Retreat in Kaduna that all animals roaming city centers would be relocated to designated reserves.
This initiative is part of the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), aimed at ensuring peace, food security, and rural prosperity. According to Maiha, developing grazing reserves will reduce open grazing, enhance productivity, and minimize conflicts between farmers and herders. “Our countryside should have milk trucks, not armored vehicles; milking machines should replace machine guns,” he added.
The Ministry’s focus on resuscitating grazing reserves is a consistent policy direction of the administration, and implementation is now underway. This move is expected to provide pastoralists with safe, secure, and sustainable grazing grounds, ultimately contributing to the nation’s economic growth.
The 2024 Media Retreat, themed around strategic communication in driving livestock growth, brought together experts and practitioners to engage participants on issues central to livestock reporting and communication for development. Discussions centered on ethical reporting, development communication, and the role of new media tools in shaping agricultural journalism.
Former Group Managing Director of LEADERSHIP Group, Dr. Cletus Akwaya, challenged journalists to go beyond episodic coverage of farmer-herder clashes and instead highlight opportunities and innovations within the livestock industry. Technology expert Oluseun Taylor demonstrated how digital platforms and multimedia storytelling can bring livestock issues to the mainstream.
The retreat concluded with a field visit to Zaidi Farms, where participants interacted with livestock infrastructure and appreciated the sector’s complexities and opportunities. The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with the press as partners in shaping public discourse and policy advocacy.
