Middle Belt Forum Rejects FG’s Renewed Cattle Ranching Policy

Middle Belt Forum Rejects FG’s Renewed Cattle Ranching Policy

The Middle Belt Forum MBF has rejected the Federal Government’s renewed cattle ranching policy in the region, expressing concern that allocating land for ranches could worsen insecurity and facilitate the establishment of permanent settlements for pastoralists.

In a statement by its national spokesman, Luka Binniyat, the forum said it had carefully reviewed the policy and “unequivocally” rejected the proposed allocation of Middle Belt lands for ranching and what it described as disguised settlements for Fulani pastoralists.

The MBF said the affected areas include Adamawa, Plateau, southern Kaduna, Benue, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory, arguing that communities in these areas have suffered severe attacks and displacement linked to armed groups and herder-related violence. The forum described the policy as a “forceful land-grabbing scheme” presented as livestock development. It argued that the government should instead consider sparsely populated areas in the far North for cattle development rather than allocating occupied Middle Belt lands. The group also questioned the Federal Government’s decision to replace Kano with Nasarawa State among the proposed locations for the programme. According to the MBF, the change has heightened fears that the initiative could expand permanent pastoralist settlements into the Middle Belt.

The forum said large areas of Middle Belt land had already been abandoned or occupied following attacks, killings and displacement. It argued that government priority should be to secure the affected communities and facilitate the return of displaced residents, rather than allocate additional land for cattle settlements. The MBF further urged National Assembly members from the affected states to summon the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, to explain the policy and its implications to their constituents.

The controversy adds another layer to Nigeria’s longstanding farmer-herder crisis, with the government promoting ranching as part of efforts to modernise livestock production and reduce conflicts, while some Middle Belt communities remain strongly opposed to compulsory land allocation for the purpose. The forum has called for the policy to be suspended and cancelled, saying any acquisition or allocation of community land should have the genuine consent of affected communities.