FG Develops Kawu Grazing Reserves to Relocate City Herders in Abuja

News in Brief

• -The FG has commenced development of critical infrastructure at the Kawu Grazing Reserve in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to relocate cattle herders from the city centre and end open grazing.
• -Kawu Grazing Reserve is the first of 417 designated grazing reserves across the country that the government plans to transform into “Renewed Hope Livestock Villages” under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has commenced the development of critical infrastructure at the Kawu Grazing Reserve in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to relocate cattle herders from the city centre and end open grazing.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, led officials of his ministry, presidential advisers, and journalists to the 9000-hectare reserve in Bwari Area Council of the FCT, where he inaugurated a solar-powered borehole, marking the start of major infrastructure rollout in the facility.

During the inspection tour over the weekend, Maiha said the revitalising of the reserve is part of the government’s initiative to develop and revitalise grazing reserves across the country, starting with the FCT.

The minister noted that the grazing reserve, which already accommodates over 10,000 herders and their families and holds an estimated 30,000 heads of cattle, is going to come alive with the planned intervention projects.

“We are committed to transforming it into an economic hub with opportunities for dairy processing, red meat production, and organic manure manufacturing,” he said.

Sustainable and climate-smart grazing in Kawu Reserve

Speaking after the inspection, the Minister noted that  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the implementation of the new National Livestock Master Plan.

‎He explained that under the initiative, the government is constructing motorised solar-powered boreholes, planting improved pastures, and establishing key infrastructure such as veterinary clinics, schools, and a modern dam in the Kawu reserve.

‎‎According to the minister, with the cooperation of herders who had already agreed to comply with the relocation measures during a stakeholders’ meeting with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and the Sultan of Sokoto, these interventions will accelerate the relocation of cattle from the streets of Abuja into organised, climate-smart livestock villages, ensuring sustainable livestock development and improved security.

‎‎The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Technology and Operations, Olumide Fagbuji, who was also present at the inspection, noted that all energy needs within the grazing reserves would be powered by clean, renewable sources to minimise greenhouse gas emissions.

Future development plans for Kawu Grazing Reserve

Minister Maiha listed upcoming projects to include a 15-kilometre access road, additional solar-powered boreholes, a dam and irrigation system, schools, a healthcare centre, security posts, pasture and manure production centres, as well as markets.

He disclosed that his ministry was collaborating with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the Federal Ministries of Water Resources, Power, and Health, as well as the Rural Electrification Agency and the Universal Basic Education Commission, to deliver services in the reserve.

According to him, the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Project (L-PRES) will also provide veterinary clinics, irrigation, pasture cultivation, and other support facilities.

Multi-stakeholder collaborations and funding pledges

‎The National Project Coordinator of the World Bank-assisted Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), Dr Sanusi Abubakar, affirmed the project’s commitment to supporting the ministry in achieving full realisation of the master plan of remodelling about 417 grazing reserves nationwide.

He explained that the project would fund the provision of water and pasture, which are the two major drivers of farmer-herder conflicts, while also constructing modern veterinary clinics.

"The clinics will provide ambulatory care to farmers’ clusters. We will no longer wait for the farmers to bring their animals to the veterinary hospitals; we will go to them,” he said.

‎Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Livestock Development, Idris Abiola Ajimobi, disclosed that the Federal Government has secured funding and partnerships with international development organisations to guarantee the sustainability of the program. 

He revealed that ₦13 billion was approved in the 2024 budget for livestock development, with additional partnerships secured from international development agencies.

National President of the Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN), Khalil Mohammed Bello, welcomed the initiative, pledging the readiness of herders to relocate.

“We are extremely happy to be among the people benefiting from this laudable project. We are ready to relocate to the Kawu grazing reserve and accept it in totality,” Bello said.