President Muhammadu Buhari has said in the next 18 to 24 months, no cattle will roam about in Nigeria. The President, who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, made the promise in Abuja on Tuesday while delivering the keynote address during the 19th Regional Implementation Forum for International Fund for Agricultural Development-supported projects in West and Central Africa. Buhari said it was high time cattle breeders desisted from taking their livestock to graze on farmlands, stressing that this had led to clashes that claimed many lives.
Buhari said, “This is why our government has decided that grasslands in large portions around the country will be created and improved grass seeds will be brought in from other countries, which have gone ahead of us to create the desired grass that will make it unnecessary for the herdsmen to roam about. So in the in next 18 to 24 months, we assure you that no cattle will roam about in this country. We need young women and men who can invest in cattle rearing and milk production as this must not be left only to the Fulani herdsmen. Feeding cattle has been an issue, which we need to address. We have given support to rice, wheat and cassava farmers; also to cocoa producers.”
