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The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has admitted that open grazing could no longer be sustained in Benue State.
Ibrahim Galma Secretary of MACBAN in the state, made this declaration on Tuesday at a One Day Sakeholders Engagement/Launch of AgroPastoral Integration for Peace and Sustainable Development, AIPASD, Project by GoGreen Environmental Health Sustainability Initiatives, convened under the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria, SPRiNG, programme.
He expressed MACBAN’s readiness to embrace initiatives to end the practice and foster peace in the state’s rural areas.
Galma also assured that MACBAN would support the SPRiNG project to succeed in its objectives in the state.
He added that that MACBAN had been part of the project from inception and emphasised on the need for partnership between herders and farmers.
“The position of MACBAN is that we are fully in support of this project from the beginning and we are going to be in this project to the end,” Galma said.
“Now that the project has been expanded within Guma and Makurdi Local Government Areas, LGAs, key stakeholders in the areas should be involved, and we should also have a local committee comprising the Ardos and traditional rulers to help the pastoralists get knowledge of how to live peacefully with farmers.
“We now know quite well that open grazing is not sustainable, not only in Benue state but in Nigeria in general.
“And from all indications, we have come to understand that there is a need for us to adapt to the reality because of the growing population, the challenge of insecurity and the climatic condition are adversely affecting our rural communities.”
On his part, Peter China, the Benue State Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, lamented he inability of most farmers in the state from accessing their farmlands for eight years as a result of crisis.
Jackson Ameh, the Chief Executive Officer of GoGreen Environmental Health Sustainability Initiatives, conveners of meeting, said the event was a major landmark in the collective effort to building a more peaceful and inclusive Benue State.
