MAKURDI, BENUE STATE — August 2026
The three major sociocultural organisations in Benue State—Mzough U Tiv (MUT), Ochetoha K’Idoma (OKI), and Omi Ny’Igede (ONI)—have jointly rejected the Federal Government’s proposed inclusion of Benue State in the pilot implementation of the National Ranching Policy.
In a strongly worded Joint Position Paper addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia and the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, the organisations declared that they support modern livestock production and commercially viable ranching, but oppose what they describe as the proposed establishment of permanent pastoral settlements on ancestral agricultural land without the consent of the state and host communities.
RANCHING YES, LAND APPROPRIATION NO
The groups stressed that their opposition is not against livestock modernisation or the legitimate economic interests of pastoralists.
Rather, they argued that any ranching initiative in Benue must respect the Constitution, the Land Use Act, existing state legislation and the rights of host communities.
They particularly pointed to the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017, which they said provides a legal framework for privately established ranches and has already received judicial validation.
The organisations therefore maintained that ranches should be established voluntarily and commercially through lawful land acquisition or leasing under the state’s land administration system—not through compulsory federal designation of ancestral land
SECURITY FIRST, RANCHING SECOND
The groups also raised serious concerns over the security implications of implementing the policy in Benue.
According to the position paper, the state has suffered thousands of deaths, mass displacement and widespread destruction of farming communities as a result of armed attacks. They questioned why a state experiencing such insecurity should be selected for permanent pastoral settlements before displaced communities have been safely returned to their ancestral homes.
The organisations called for the identification, disarmament, arrest and prosecution of armed groups responsible for attacks, alongside the safe return of internally displaced persons and rehabilitation of destroyed communities.
Their position is clear: security and justice must come before any major land-based livestock settlement programme.
CONCERN OVER LACK OF CONSULTATION
Another major concern raised by the three groups is what they described as inadequate consultation with Benue’s farming communities and traditional institutions.
The position paper states that while the Federal Government engaged more than 34 pastoral organisations, the three apex sociocultural organisations, traditional councils and other key Benue stakeholders were not consulted before the state was selected as a pilot location.
The groups argued that a programme intended to resolve farmer-herder tensions cannot be successfully implemented by consulting only one side of the conflict.
“IS IT A RANCH OR A TOWN?”
The organisations also questioned the proposed “Renewed Hope Livestock Villages.”
They argued that the provision of housing, schools, healthcare facilities, markets, places of worship, water infrastructure and other social amenities goes beyond the traditional meaning of a ranch and could create permanent human settlements.
They warned that permanent settlements could have long-term demographic, political and land-governance consequences for host communities.
BENUE’S FOOD SECURITY AT STAKE
The groups further warned that converting productive agricultural land into pastoral reserves could undermine Benue’s contribution to national food security.
As Nigeria’s major agricultural-producing state, Benue plays an important role in the production of crops including yam, cassava, soybeans, sesame, rice and citrus.
The organisations argued that Nigeria cannot achieve food security by expanding livestock production at the expense of crop agriculture. Instead, they called for an integrated agricultural policy that develops crop and livestock production simultaneously.
CALL FOR AN INCLUSIVE LIVESTOCK POLICY
The position paper also criticised what it described as an excessive focus on cattle at the expense of other livestock sectors.
The groups called for greater government support for poultry, piggery, sheep and goat farming, aquaculture, rabbit production, apiculture and other livestock enterprises, particularly those operated by women, young people and smallholder farmers.
THE ALTERNATIVE: A BENUE-LED APPROACH
Rather than simply opposing the Federal Government’s initiative, the organisations proposed an alternative framework based on:
– State-led livestock development under existing Benue law.
– Voluntary and privately owned commercial ranches.
– Community consent before land is used for livestock enterprises.
– Equal support for cattle and other livestock sectors.
– Strong enforcement of the state’s anti-open grazing law.
– Enhanced security and prosecution of armed criminal elements.
– Safe return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral communities.
– Legally binding benefit-sharing arrangements for host communities.
KEY DEMANDS
The three organisations called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw Benue State from the pilot ranching programme pending genuine consultation and consent from the Benue State Government, House of Assembly, traditional institutions and sociocultural organisations.
They also called for a comprehensive security operation, a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into killings and displacement in Benue, and a broader national livestock policy covering all livestock subsectors.
They urged Governor Hyacinth Alia to formally communicate Benue’s position to the Federal Government and strengthen the state’s existing livestock legislation. They also called on the Minister of Livestock Development to publish details of the 417 grazing reserves and clarify whether the proposed livestock villages are intended as commercial ranches or permanent human settlements.
BENUE IS NOT AGAINST PROGRESS
In their concluding message, the three organisations stressed that their position should not be interpreted as opposition to development or livestock modernisation.
“The peoples of Benue State are not opposed to progress. We are not opposed to livestock modernisation. We are not opposed to the prosperity of pastoralist Nigerians. We are opposed to being made to pay the price of that progress with our ancestral lands, our security, our agricultural livelihoods, and the future of our children.”»
The joint statement was signed in Makurdi on 14 August 2026 by Air Commodore Titus Agbecha (Rtd.), President-General, Mzough U Tiv; Professor Yakubu Ochefu, President-General, Ochetoha K’Idoma; and Mr. Daniel Omeno, President-General, Omi Ny’Igede.
The message from Benue’s three major sociocultural blocs is unequivocal: livestock modernisation is welcome, but it must be voluntary, lawful, community-sensitive and compatible with the security, land rights and agricultural future of Benue State.
