KEY POINTS

• The FG identified 470 gazetted grazing reserves to resettle herders and end open grazing.
• Minister Idi Maiha says settled herding will improve disease control, breeding and animal health.
• Nigeria’s cows yield 1.2 to 2 litres daily, far below Kenya’s 30 litres.

The Federal Government has identified 470 gazetted and legally protected grazing reserves to rehabilitate and resettle pastoralists, as part of efforts to end open grazing and stop cattle from roaming the streets of Abuja, Lagos and other cities. The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, disclosed the plan on Arise News while discussing the National Dairy Policy Framework.

A push for settled herding

According to Maiha, relocating herders into the reserves will strengthen disease surveillance, breed improvement and animal health management. Asked whether Nigerians should expect an end to cattle roaming city streets, he answered in the affirmative, arguing that open grazing is no longer sustainable, because long-distance cattle movement drags down productivity and leaves the country unable to meet its dairy demand.

“We are sensitising pastoralists to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Once they settle in designated reserves, all the interventions required to improve productivity become easier to implement,” he said. Moreover, he said the government would introduce jaw-tagging of animals. “Once a cow steps outside its designated boundary, an alarm is triggered, indicating it has either strayed or been stolen, and it can be returned immediately,” he added.

Closing a wide productivity gap

On output, Maiha said Nigerian cows yield only 1.2 to 2 litres of milk per day, far below countries such as Kenya, where yields reach up to 30 litres. He blamed the gap on poor livestock genetics, weak feeding systems and inadequate disease management.

Furthermore, the minister noted that, despite an estimated 270 million ruminants, Nigeria has failed to modernize its livestock genetics over time. While other African countries deliberately upgraded their breeds, he said, Nigeria largely retained traditional, low-yield cattle. He also lamented that research institutes and veterinary faculties exist nationwide, yet genetic improvement has not advanced at scale.

“While every other thing in our national space has changed, we have not been able to transform our livestock by introducing new genetics or selecting based on performance traits,” he said, adding that either approach could lift yields to between 15 and 50 litres per cow per day. Consequently, Maiha said the government is pursuing a strategy built on improved feeding, disease control and genetics. Ultimately, he tied the reforms to the National Dairy Policy Framework, which aims to boost local milk production and cut imports.