Nation Security Group Backs Call to End Open Grazing in Nigeria, Warns of Food Security Risks

News in brief:

-Between 2020 and 2024, over 2,300 deaths were linked to farmer-herder clashes, highlighting the urgent need for reform.

-Civil groups, security leaders, and state governors argue that ranching will reduce conflicts, protect farmlands, and improve food security in Nigeria.

Across Nigeria, clashes between herders and farmers have become one of the most deadly and persistent conflicts affecting rural communities. Beyond the loss of lives, these clashes threaten food production and rural livelihoods. Now, the National Security and Development Group (NSDG), a non-governmental organisation, has joined calls to end open grazing, describing it as a necessary step for peace and food security.

Backing the Defence Chief’s Position

Speaking in Abuja, the group’s secretary, Mr Chuks Oyema, commended Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for his bold stance on ending open grazing. According to Oyema, the defence chief has “spoken truth to power” by addressing the dangers that open grazing poses to lives, farmlands, and national stability.

“History will remember General Musa for his courage,” Oyema said, noting that open grazing has been a major driver of farmer-herder clashes.

The Human Cost of Open Grazing

Data from Nextier’s Violent Conflict Database shows that between 2020 and 2024, at least 2,349 people were killed in 359 incidents linked to open grazing. In 2024 alone, 467 lives were lost in 61 separate clashes. Over the past five years, no fewer than 2,800 Nigerians have died as a result of the conflict.

The International Crisis Group has also described these farmer-herder clashes as 'premeditated scorched-earth campaigns' that devastate rural communities. For many farmers, this means abandoning their fields, losing income, and contributing to the worsening hunger crisis across Nigeria.

Calls for Ranching as a Lasting Solution

Oyema stressed that the Chief of Defence Staff’s position aligns with earlier calls by Northern Governors, Senator Mohammed Sani, civil society organisations like the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), and several security analysts. All agree that ranching is the most viable alternative to open grazing.

Ranching refers to the practice of keeping and managing cattle in designated areas, where they can graze, be watered, and properly managed without roaming into farmlands. Unlike open grazing, ranching reduces conflicts, allows better disease control, and supports modern livestock production.

Voices of Support Across Nigeria

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Governor of Niger State, Umaru Bago, have also publicly supported ranching. They emphasised the need for laws and sensitisation campaigns to help herders transition to this system.

The NSDG urged the National Assembly to urgently pass legislation to ban open grazing nationwide and strengthen enforcement, where some states already have similar laws.

Link Between Open Grazing and Food Security

According to Oyema, the destruction of farmlands by roaming cattle continues to undermine Nigeria’s food production. Many farmers are abandoning their livelihoods because of the persistent clashes, leading to hunger, job losses, and worsening insecurity.

“Food security is being undermined when herders destroy farmlands. We must do the right thing now. Ranching is the way forward – for peace, for security, and for food sustainability,” he stated.