FG Spends N3bn On Grazing Reserves Dev

The federal government says it has spent the sum of N3 billion to provide infrastructures for livestock development across the country.

Chairman of National Livestock Development Committee (NLDC) Dr Joseph Nyager who disclosed this said that part of the money was committed into the delineation of stock routes.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Abuja recently, Dr Nyager said that 59 boreholes, 10 earth dams and five livestock service centres were constructed in 25 selected grazing reserves nationwide.

According to him, the development of the reserves and stock routes became imperative to avoid pastoralists/farmers conflicts.

“To reduce pastoralists/farmers conflicts and at the same time increase livestock production, primary routes have been identified and categorised as North East, North Central and North West with a total distance of 14,950kms he stated.

Also, he further stated that grazing corridors linking grazing reserves in the North and Southern states have been identified as comprising a total of 15,000kms.

They include pasture of earth dams, potable water and livestock service centres as well as land available for settlement inside and outside the reserve.

Dr Nyager further disclosed that 8,151kms of primary stock routes were being delineated along the North East, North West and North Central Comprising about 1,500 kms of the grazing corridor to reduce farmers and pastoralists clashes.

In the same vein, he revealed that demarcation of the stock routes in the North Western area from illela in Sokoto State to Oyo State was in progress adding that work was going on from the North East to Calabar and Southern part of the country.

Besides, he pointed out that the committee has embarked on sensitisation, to ensure aggressive development of stock routes.

He, however, identified some challenges facing his committee which include inadequate support by state and local governments, encroachments due to demand for land and funding among others.

The chairman explained that despite the challenges the federal government was determined to develop all the grazing reserves across the country to alleviate the problems faced by farmers and pastoralists.

Isaac Nwankwo