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Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu on Thursday argued that mapping out grazing routes will help to identify the scale of the herder-farmer crisis.
President Muhammadu Buhari recently ordered a committee to review 368 grazing sites across 25 states in the country to determine the levels of encroachment.
Critics have faulted the President’s directive, noting that ranching is a more viable alternative to open grazing.
But, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Mr Bagudu said the President’s directive does not preclude the idea of ranching.
“The committee is to identify grazing routes and work with states and map them. It is not to recover grazing routes, it is to identify the scale of the problem,” Mr Bagudu said.
“Mr President is interested in an audit of grazing reserves. It is a voluntary and collaborative thing with the states.
“People say we have spoken about ranching. Yes, but what is a ranch? Ranching does not take place in the air, it takes place on a piece of land.
“Ranches are as big as grazing reserves. In some countries like Australia, some ranches are bigger than some Nigerian states.
“So how do you know what’s available, what can be supported to host those roving, herding communities who need help to modernise?”
