Nigeria: Open grazing fuels violence and economic disaster, report urges ranching
via Punch Nigeria12 min read
A new report, "Insecurity, Livelihoods and Welfare in Northern Nigeria," highlights that open grazing, alongside banditry and insurgency, is a major driver of poverty and a threat to food security in Nigeria. The study, produced by the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network of the Institute of Development Studies, UK, the Development Research and Projects Centre, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office-supported Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria project, used data from the Nigeria Living Standards Survey 2022/23, the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2024, and Armed Conflict Location and Event Data covering 2010 to 2025. It found that farmer-herder clashes significantly impacted near-poor households in the North-Central zone, causing a 14 percent drop in expenditure. The report suggests livelihood diversification and peacebuilding, but the Punch Editorial Board argues these do not address the root cause: open grazing. The editorial board asserts that open grazing has led to death, displacement, destruction, and economic ruin, providing cover for criminal gangs and exacerbating national security issues. It emphasizes that ranching, which confines livestock, would reduce conflict, improve productivity, and allow farmers to return to their communities. The article points out that Nigeria's security profile has worsened, ranking as the sixth most terrorism-affected country in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index. It cites Human Rights Watch data indicating over
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