The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed pilot scheme under the New National Livestock Policy, alleging that it could lead to the takeover of ancestral lands belonging to ethnic communities in the Middle Belt.
The forum raised concerns over proposed locations reportedly covering parts of Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement signed by Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Leader of Afenifere and Chairman of the SMBLF; Dr Bitrus Pogu, President of the Middle Belt Forum; Senator John Azuta-Mbata, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; and Ambassador Godknows Igali, National Chairman of PANDEF, the group questioned why the pilot scheme was concentrated largely in the Middle Belt.
The SMBLF argued that there were extensive areas of sparsely populated and unused land in parts of northern Nigeria that could be considered for livestock development.
The forum said it was not opposed to modern livestock production, ranching or the development of the livestock value chain, but objected to what it described as the “opaque, coercive and discriminatory manner” in which the policy was being pursued.
According to the group, the policy appeared designed to benefit nomadic Fulani herders at the expense of indigenous communities.
The SMBLF also cited the Land Use Act of 1978, arguing that the legislation does not give the Federal Government unrestricted powers to take over community lands.
It maintained that ranching should be treated as a private economic enterprise and warned against using the concept of public interest to justify compulsory land acquisition for specific groups.
The forum further expressed suspicion that the proposed policy could result in the establishment of permanent settlement zones for nomadic Fulani herders, citing previous controversies surrounding the RUGA and cattle colony proposals.
It also alleged that violent conflicts involving herders had displaced communities across parts of the Middle Belt and southern Nigeria, insisting that lands belonging to affected communities should not be allocated to those accused of contributing to their displacement.
The SMBLF called on the Federal Government to provide full details of the proposed ranching scheme, including the locations and sizes of the lands involved, legal instruments for their acquisition, ownership structures, beneficiaries, security arrangements and sources of funding.
The group said it would reject the proposed ranching scheme in the Middle Belt and southern Nigeria until the government provides transparency and guarantees the rights of affected communities.
The forum also urged communities and governments in the southern states to remain vigilant and oppose any attempt to acquire community lands under the guise of livestock development.
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