MACBAN Rejects Ranching Bill, Calls for Holistic Livestock Approach

 The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has expressed its opposition to a proposed bill aimed at establishing a national agency for regulating and managing ranches in Nigeria. Instead, MACBAN's national president, Alhaji Baba Usman Ngelzarma, suggested the creation of a Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development to address issues across the entire livestock value chain.

Ngelzarma emphasized that a holistic approach is needed to address issues such as production, processing, marketing, transportation, and security in the livestock sector. He urged President Bola Tinubu to implement the recommendations of the Livestock Reforms and Mitigation Committee, led by Professor Attahiru Jega, which was tasked with finding solutions to the recurring conflicts between farmers and herders.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, a bill proposing to ban open grazing and establish ranches as a solution to the clashes between farmers and herders has progressed to the second reading after a debate.