A bill, likely to test the will of the ruling elite to address the lingering farmers/herders’ clash has gone through the second reading in the Senate, despite stiff opposition by some senators from the northern part of the country.
The bill seeks to outlaw open grazing in Nigeria, while institute ranching in the states of pastoralists’ origin.
Sponsored by Senator Zam Titus Tertenger of the APC representing Benue North West, the bill faced a divided Senate but managed to pass its second reading.
Senator Tertenger argued passionately for ranching as the only viable solution to the recurring conflicts between herders and farmers in Nigeria. He emphasized the urgent need to modernize livestock-keeping practices to ensure the safety and well-being of both the herds and the herders. Citing alarming statistics of lives lost and millions displaced due to these conflicts, Tertenger urged his colleagues to act decisively.
Support for the bill came from Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe of APGA (Abia South), Garba Musa Maidoki of the PDP (Kebbi South), and Abba Moro of the PDP (Benue South).
However, opposition was strong, with Senators Adamu Aliero of the PDP (Kebbi Central), Suleiman Kawu of the NNPP (Kano South), and Danjuma Goje of the APC (Gombe Central) raising objections.
Senator Aliero cited constitutional provisions guaranteeing free movement across states with property, arguing against limiting ranching to pastoralists’ states of origin. Similarly, Senator Kawu deemed the bill incompatible with Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
Efforts to defer the bill were led by Deputy Senate President Senator Jibrin Barau of the APC (Kano North), who advised the sponsor to reconsider its approach. Nevertheless, the bill proceeded to its second reading following a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, despite the sponsor’s reluctance to withdraw it.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Trade and Investment, and Judiciary and Legal Matters for further scrutiny over the next four weeks.
