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The Jigawa State Government has committed N4.5 billion to establish three modern cattle ranches as part of efforts to reduce farmers-herders clashes and strengthen livestock production in the state.
The Commissioner for Livestock Development, Prof. Salim Abdulrahman, disclosed this in an interview in Dutse on Sunday, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The project will cover the state’s three senatorial districts, with facilities intended to support pastoralist households, improve cattle management and provide more organised livestock settlements.
Jigawa commits N4.5 billion to ranches
Abdulrahman said the N4.5 billion project forms part of the N17.2 billion earmarked for livestock development in Jigawa State’s 2026 fiscal year.
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He identified the proposed locations as Sankara Grazing Reserve in Ringim, Kashamai Grazing Reserve in Kafin Hausa and Kukar Mekiya in Kiyawa.
- “The Jigawa government says it has embarked on a N4.5 billion project to establish three cattle ranches to encourage livestock development and end farmers/herders clashes.
- “Prof. Salim Abdulrahman, Commissioner for Livestock Development, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday in Dutse,” the NAN report read in part.
- Each ranch will cover 510 hectares of land and accommodate 3,000 households.
- Planned facilities include schools, healthcare centres, veterinary clinics, markets, electricity and water supply.
The ranches will also have pasture and water points to improve access to animal feed and essential resources.
The commissioner said organised livestock settlements would help reduce frequent clashes between farmers and herders by improving cattle management.
The government is also expanding veterinary healthcare services as part of the wider livestock development programme. Its plans include veterinary clinics across all 27 local government areas, seven zonal veterinary clinics and a central referral veterinary centre.
MACBAN urges shift to modern ranching
The Jigawa project comes amid calls from livestock industry stakeholders for cattle breeders to move away from traditional cattle rearing towards organised ranching.
Abdullahi Abubakar, National Deputy Treasurer of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Bauchi State, said modern livestock management could help address recurring conflicts between farmers and herders.
- He identified competition over land, water and other natural resources as major sources of tension between farming and pastoralist communities.
- He urged cattle breeders to reduce their herds to manageable numbers and invest in feed processing, animal healthcare and proper livestock management.
- He said population growth and climate change had increased pressure on available land and water resources, making traditional open grazing increasingly difficult to sustain.
- He also encouraged pastoralists to acquire land and establish properly managed ranches where cattle could be raised under controlled conditions.
Abubakar said modern ranching would improve animal welfare, reduce indiscriminate cattle movement and minimise crop destruction and disputes between farming and herding communities.
FG expands plans for livestock reform
Jigawa’s investment is part of a wider push to modernise livestock production and address recurring conflicts between farmers and herders.
The Federal Government has also outlined plans for communal ranching and other reforms aimed at improving productivity and integrating livestock into the national economy.
- In January 2026, Nairametrics reported that the Federal Government planned to pilot communal ranches in Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory.
- In December 2025, President Bola Tinubu announced plans to modernise livestock farming through large-scale ranching schemes, improved animal husbandry and integration of the livestock value chain into the national economy.
- In September 2024, the Presidential Committee on the Implementation of Livestock Reforms recommended combining ranching with regulated open grazing as a possible approach to resolving the farmer-herder crisis.
In March 2025, the Federal Government announced a partnership with Brazilian firm JBJ Brazil to establish a 100,000-hectare cattle ranch in Niger State, with capacity for 100,000 bulls. Niger State also pledged 1.2 million hectares to support livestock development.
