Taraba Varsity Lecturer Urges President Tinubu to Ban Open Grazing

A lecturer at Taraba State University, Professor John Ajai, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently ban open grazing in Nigeria and review the country’s commitment to the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol.

In an open letter sent to the President on Sunday, Professor Ajai warned that Nigeria is facing a critical moment that requires bold and immediate action to protect its sovereignty, unity, and security.

He explained that while the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol was initially created to support pastoral movements across West Africa, it has now contributed to rising insecurity, violent land occupation, and threats to Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

“The unregulated cross-border movement has allowed not just pastoralists but also heavily armed groups to enter Nigeria under the guise of transhumance,” Ajai said.

He noted that this situation has caused the displacement of indigenous communities, destroyed local livelihoods, and fueled tensions in several states such as Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa.

Quoting a USAID-funded report, Professor Ajai highlighted that between 2015 and 2019, Nigeria recorded around 7,000 deaths and suffered an estimated $13 billion in economic losses each year due to violent conflicts related to pastoral activities.

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He also raised concerns that criminal networks and insurgents like Boko Haram are using the loopholes in the free movement agreement to smuggle arms, conduct surveillance, and carry out attacks within Nigeria.

Ajai further argued that holding onto the old protocol discourages adopting modern livestock practices like ranching and feedlot systems, which are crucial for Nigeria’s agricultural growth and food security.

Calling the situation a “dangerous erosion of sovereignty,” he urged President Tinubu to reassess Nigeria’s role in the ECOWAS agreement thoroughly and, if necessary, renegotiate or completely withdraw to serve the nation’s best interests.

While commending Tinubu for setting up the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Professor Ajai stressed that stronger measures are needed to ban open grazing in Nigeria completely.

He urged the President to lead the speedy approval and implementation of the Anti-Open Grazing Bill, which has already passed the third reading in the Senate. Ajai described the bill as a golden chance to tackle the root causes of violent land occupations and restore peace across communities.

“These are not ordinary times. They demand extraordinary leadership which future generations will honour as the turning point when Nigeria chose survival, sovereignty, and renewal over drift and disintegration,” he stated.

Professor Ajai expressed hope that with determined leadership, Nigeria can defeat its current security issues and once again stand as a strong, united, and prosperous nation in Africa.

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