Tinubu asks governors to give herdsmen land for cattle grazing

Our reporter/ President Bola Tinubu on Monday said his government is committed to ending herders/farmers’ reoccurring clashes.

Tinubu, who made disclosure while commissioning Niger State agro project in Minna, the Niger state capital, urged governors to provide land for herders to graze their cattle.

“I know what it means for roaming cows to eat crops and the vegetation of our land. I know it is painful. But when we re-orient the herder and make provision for cattle rearing, we can address that,” Mr Tinubu said.

“You are the governors who are to provide us with land. I, as President, am committed to providing a comprehensive programme that will solve this problem,” he added.

Farmers/herder clashes have lingered for decades, resulting in intermittent bloodshed in Benue, Plateau, and some southern states.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari attempted to secure land for herders across the country but the move was vehemently opposed by Southern governors, who feared herders constitute security threats to their respective states.

Most Southern states subsequently passed anti-grazing laws prohibiting herdsmen from openly grazing in their states.