Army Chief seeks law to ban open grazing

By Adamu Aliyu Aliyu/ABUJA//

General Oluyede made the call in Abuja while speaking at the National Summit on Food, Nutrition, and Food Security organised by the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security.

The army chief, who was represented by the Executive Director of Nigerian Army Farms and Ranch, Major-General Olufemi Dare, stressed that urgent adoption of ranching as a national policy would help address Nigeria’s growing food insecurity, insisting that open grazing was no longer sustainable.

According to the Chief of Army Staff, the Nigerian Army has established various formations aimed at preventing farmer-herder clashes.

‎

Rear Admiral Yusuf Sani Idris, who represented the Chief of Naval Staff, highlighted the Navy’s contribution through the establishment of Admiralty Farms Limited, with operational farms across nearly all six geopolitical zones.

He explained that the farms provide both food security and physical security for farmers, while plans were underway to expand to other zones.

Assistant Commandant-General Besong Ogar, representing the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), stressed the need for timely information sharing to address security breaches affecting farms.

For his part, Dr Chike Okafor, the Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to ensuring a safer and food-secure Nigeria, adding that peace and security were vital for both farmers and security agencies alike.