Ranching Can End Herders-Farmers Clashes Across Nigeria – Okowa

Delta State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has come out to beg Nigerians to support ranching in the country.

He recently revealed this when the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and President of Nigeria Baptist Convention, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, visited him at the Government House, Asaba, to condole with him on the recent passing away of his father.

According to him, if more citizens decide to start supporting ranching henceforth, it will definitely decrease herders-farmers clashes across the country.

He added that the insecurity in Nigeria is negatively impacting the socio-economic lives of Nigerians, and embracing ranching can fix that.

His words, “Here in Delta State, we have long realised that the way to go is to find ways of skilling our people, enabling them to acquire the needed skills because everybody cannot get white collar jobs.”

“So, beyond vocational training, we have placed a lot of emphasis on technical education and we are doing our best that we can to reach out to our youths. We are glad that many of our youths are cooperating with us.”

“I am glad that many of my colleagues (governors) in the North are now beginning to show more reasoning towards the development of our nation because they have spoken loudly in their last meeting concerning the issue of open grazing.”

“We are glad to hear that because that has been the voice mainly from the South, but has now been echoed by our colleagues (governors) in the North and I am truly very glad that they have boldly come out to speak about that because we must truly find ways to begin to encourage ranching.”

“This is because, in the first instance, if we are able to find ways of having grazing reserves as they are proposing, I believe that the cattle can be fed in such a way that they can grow bigger, have more meat, and it is more economical and many of the children can be free to truly go to school and be empowered.”

“But, for those who want to take to the business of livestock farming, they can now be groomed such that they can have more productive livestock rather than the one we get them to trek long distances.”