It is up to these governors of Nigeria’s six largest states to resolve the current herdsmen crisis with each of them setting aside 5,000 square kilometres of land for a mega ranch

Ayo Akinfe

(1) In Niger State, Governor Mohammed Bello Niger is sitting on a total land mass of 76,363 square kilometres. He should open a ranch that straddles Mokwa and Mashegwu local government areas that have a combined acreage of 13,520 square kilometres. Its headquarters should be in Mokwa where a feed compounding plant and abattoir should be built

(2) In Borno State, Governor Babagana Zulum is sitting on a combined area of ​70,898 square kilometres. He should open a ranch that straddles Biu and Damboa government areas that have a combined acreage of 98.49 square kilometres. Its headquarters should be in Biu where a feed compounding plant and abattoir should be built

(3) In Taraba State, Governor Darius Ishaku is sitting on a total area of 54,473 square kilometres. He should open a ranch in Bali local government area which covers 9,146 square kilometres. Its headquarters should be in Bali town where a feed compounding plant and abattoir should be built

(4) In Bauchi State, Governor Bala Mohammed is sitting on a total land mass of 49,119 square kilometres. He should open a ranch across Kirfi and Alkaleri local government areas which have a combined area of 8,289 square kilometres. Its headquarters should be in Alkaleri town, where a feed compounding plant and abattoir should be built

(5) In Kaduna State, Governor Nasir El-Rufai is sitting on a total land mass of 46,053 square kilometres. He should open a ranch across Birnin Gwari and Chikun local government areas which cover a combined area of 10,651 square kilometres. Its headquarters should be in Birnin Gwari where a feed compounding plant and abattoir should be built

(6) In Yobe State, Governor Mai Bumi is sitting on a total area of 45,502 square kilometres. He should open a ranch that straddles Fune and Gubja local government areas which have a combined acreage of 8,187 square kilometres. Its headquarters should be in Buni Yadi where a feed compounding plant and an abattoir should be built

(7) Each of these governors should immediately commission a feasibility study and an environmental impact assessment in the mentioned areas. Their plans should be to aim to open these ranches by May 1 this year as part of the May Day celebrations

(8) All these ranches will involve the construction of feed allotments and grazing areas that will be leased to herdsmen. It will be no different from the way state governments build markets and lease them out to retailers. These facilities will also include veterinary clinics, police stations, technical colleges, schools, health centres, etc

(9) Apart from opening adjoining feed compounding plants and abattoirs, each governor must also be compelled to attract processors including at least one dairy plant and one leather tanning factories into their state. Each governor should be set a minimum target of creating at least 500,000 jobs from the project and generating at least $1bn in revenue annually

(10) No matter how many herdsmen you arrest, prosecute and jail, this crisis will be back next year as with 82m Nigerians living in poverty, 10.5m out-of-school children and a collapse in the global demand for crude oil, there is an endless army of willing recruits. This is a socio-economic crisis that has to be addressed developmentally. There is no quick-fix or ethnic solution to this problem. Our National Assembly should pass a bill mandating these six governors to scour the globe in search of investors who will pump at least $100m each into the animal husbandry industries in their respective states

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