LAGOS OCTOBER 6TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Due to the delay by states’ governments in providing land for ranches the Federal Government has decided to use some of its own land in various parts of the country for the establishment of ranches in order to put an end to clashes between herders and farmers across the nation.
It was learnt that the Federal Government’s decision was prompted by the continued delay of state governments in providing land for ranches.
Our source gathered that the Federal Government would use its land as well as some identified grazing reserves for the establishment of ranches.
On July 14, 2018, it was exclusively reported by Saturday PUNCH that with the refusal of some state governors to give land for ranching, the Federal Government had decided to reactivate and convert about 177 out of the 415 grazing reserves across the country to ranches.
It was also reported that aside from Kogi State that had officially agreed to provide about 5,000 hectares of land, no other state had publicly announced willingness to provide land for ranches or cattle colonies, which the Federal Government favours.
Governors of the South-East states in July rose from a meeting in Enugu with a decision that no land would be made available for the establishment of cattle ranches in the zone, while other states have deliberately been delaying in acceding to the request of the Federal Government.
Officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, however, stated that the Federal Government was still making plans to establish ranches across the country despite the delay by state governments.
They told our correspondent in Abuja that the government recently realised that it had more than enough land for this purpose.