FG identifies 470 gazetted reserves, moves to end open grazing

The Federal Government has identified 470 gazetted and legally protected grazing reserves for the rehabilitation and resettlement of pastoralists as part of efforts to end open grazing and improve livestock productivity across the country.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, disclosed this during an interview on Arise News while discussing the implementation of the National Dairy Policy Framework and plans to transform Nigeria’s livestock sector.

Maiha said the initiative is aimed at encouraging pastoralists to adopt a sedentary lifestyle by relocating them to designated grazing reserves where government interventions can be more effectively implemented.

According to him, settling herders in the reserves will enhance disease surveillance, breed improvement and animal health management, while reducing the movement of cattle across cities and communities.

He stated that open grazing is no longer sustainable, noting that long-distance cattle movement contributes to low productivity and hinders efforts to meet the country’s dairy needs.

“We are sensitising pastoralists to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Once they settle in designated reserves, all the interventions required to improve productivity become easier to implement,” Maiha said.

The minister also revealed plans to introduce jaw-tagging technology for livestock to enable authorities track animals and quickly identify those that stray from designated locations or are stolen.

On dairy production, Maiha said Nigeria currently records average milk yields of between 1.2 and two litres per cow daily, significantly lower than countries such as Kenya, where yields can reach up to 30 litres per day.

He attributed the low output to poor livestock genetics, inadequate feeding systems and weak disease management practices.

Maiha noted that despite Nigeria’s estimated 270 million ruminants, including cattle, sheep, goats and camels, the country has not modernised its livestock genetics at the required scale.

He said research institutions and veterinary faculties exist across the country, but genetic improvement programmes have not been widely implemented.

According to him, the government’s strategy focuses on improved feeding, disease control and genetic enhancement under the National Dairy Policy Framework to increase local milk production and reduce dependence on imports.

Maiha said improved breeding and performance-based selection could significantly raise milk yields and boost the productivity of Nigeria’s livestock sector.