Nigeria's Federal Government has reserved 33,000 hectares of land within the Abuja Master Plan for livestock settlements, as it moves to shift animal production away from densely populated areas and towards more organised, commercially oriented livestock systems.
Minister of Livestock Development Idi Mukhtar Maiha disclosed the plan during a ministerial briefing in Abuja, saying the land is located outside the Abuja metropolis and will form part of the government's strategy to establish designated areas for settled livestock production.
The initiative is intended to reduce the movement of cattle and other livestock through the FCT while improving access to feed, water, veterinary services and other production infrastructure. Maiha said the government wants to replace long-distance livestock movement with systems that allow animals to be raised closer to the resources they need.
The Federal Government is also working with the FCT Administration to rehabilitate existing livestock facilities, including Kawu Grazing Reserve, Karshi and Paiko-Kore. Kawu has already received three boreholes and a digital weather station to support livestock production and management.
The settlement programme forms part of a wider livestock transformation strategy built around genetic improvement, modern husbandry, dedicated livestock settlements and specialised livestock development centres. The government says the centres are expected to support different livestock species and contribute to food security, rural development and improved productivity.
Private investors and producer organisations are expected to play a role in financing and operating commercial components of the settlements, while the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development will provide policy direction, technical standards, animal-health protocols, traceability requirements and regulatory coordination.
The development comes shortly after the government identified Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Adamawa and the FCT as priority locations for its pilot ranching programme, with the Wase Grazing Reserve in Plateau serving as the initial proof of concept.
NBF Insight
Nigeria's 33,000-hectare allocation signals a shift from viewing livestock settlements simply as grazing areas to treating them as agricultural production hubs.
If properly developed, the settlements could attract investment in feed production, dairy processing, veterinary services, meat processing and other livestock businesses.
The bigger test will be whether Nigeria can turn reserved land into productive, commercially viable livestock economies capable of improving food supply while reducing the conflicts associated with uncontrolled animal movement.
