On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the Nigerian Senate engaged in a heated debate over a bill seeking to outlaw open grazing in Nigeria and replace it with ranches located in the pastoralists’ states of origin. Despite significant division among senators, the bill successfully passed its second reading.
The discord among the lawmakers centered on concerns that the bill might infringe upon relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the protocols of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regarding the free movement of persons and property.
The bill’s sponsor, Senator Zam Titus Tertenger (APC, Benue North-West), argued that transitioning from traditional livestock keeping methods to modern ranching is essential for the safety and health of both herds and herders.
He emphasized that ranches should be established in the pastoralists’ states of origin without imposing them on states or communities that do not have pastoralists as citizens. He also stressed the importance of obtaining approvals from host communities to ensure peaceful co-existence.
“Reports have it that, since 2016, more than 4,000 lives have been lost due to farmer-herder conflicts,” Tertenger said. “Over five million people have been displaced, particularly in the Middle Belt region and other parts of northern Nigeria. This has led to a significant decline in crop production and herding, costing the country an average of $3.5 million or 47% of its internally generated revenue.”
He urged the Senate to act decisively to resolve the herder-farmer conflicts, warning that if left unaddressed, the violence could surpass the devastation of the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970). “Now is the time to bring about a law to stop open grazing. It is old fashioned, hazardous, burdensome, and must be discarded,” he concluded.
The bill garnered support from some senators, including Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South), Garba Musa Maidoki (PDP, Kebbi South), and Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South). However, others, such as Senators Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central), Suleiman Kawu (NNPP, Kano South), and Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central), opposed it.
Senator Aliero opposed the bill on constitutional grounds, citing Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees all Nigerians the right to move freely into any state with their property. Senator Kawu echoed this sentiment, asserting that the bill would exacerbate the herder-farmer crisis if it became law.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano North), advised the bill’s sponsor to withdraw the proposal, specifically criticizing the limitation of ranch establishment to the states of origin of pastoralists.
Despite these objections, the bill narrowly passed its second reading when put to a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. It was then forwarded to the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Trade and Investment, Judiciary, and Legal Matters for further legislative scrutiny within the next four weeks.
