Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has urged the Federal Government to enact legislation prohibiting open grazing across Nigeria.
Speaking at the Benue Livestock Summit 2025 in Makurdi on Friday, Alia emphasized that ranching remains the most effective method of animal husbandry globally.
He called on the Minister of Livestock Development to lead efforts in passing a law that would ban open grazing and promote the establishment of ranches nationwide.
“I also wish to reaffirm our administration’s commitment to the Prohibition of Open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law 2017 (as amended),” Alia stated.
According to him, Benue aims to integrate into the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project to enhance infrastructure for livestock farming. The governor noted that for years, livestock development in Benue had been neglected, despite its potential to address food insecurity, boost wealth creation, and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Furthermore, while we focus on diversifying the entire livestock value chain, we seek the honourable minister’s support in attracting Foreign Direct Investment into Benue’s pig industry.
“Given our economic, cultural, and social advantages, this value chain holds tremendous potential,” he added.
Alia highlighted his administration’s efforts to expand arable land for fodder production and livestock feed processing. He expressed optimism that the summit would advance ongoing livestock development initiatives.
“One of the critical takeaways I expect from this summit is an articulated roadmap for establishing ranches.
“The failure to develop model ranches in collaboration with farmers and the private sector has hindered livestock growth.
“We are poised to close this gap by operationalising ranches and empowering farmers to expand beyond subsistence backyard livestock rearing,” he said.
To further strengthen the livestock sector, the governor announced plans to establish ten feed mills and ten hatcheries in each senatorial district, as well as nine agricultural training centres to support extension workers.
He acknowledged President Bola Tinubu for creating the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and praised the minister, Idi Maiha, for supporting livestock infrastructure development in Benue.
“As a state, we are confident that insights from this summit will be well-articulated for the attention of government, investors, and the livestock community in Nigeria and beyond,” Alia said.
