Headline

22 Govs Apply As FG Begins Model Ranch Fund’s Disbursement Next Week

Published

4 years ago

October 27, 2021

Cattle Ranch. Source: icirnigeria.org

No fewer than 22 states have written to the Federal Government to indicate interest in the National Livestock Transformation Programme.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agriculture, Andrew Kwasari, who also coordinates the NLTP, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday, adding that the Federal Government would start disbursing funds for model ranches in the next one week.

According to him, states whose governors have written the Federal Government include, Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Zamfara, Kano, Ondo, Katsina, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno, Gombe, Nasarawa, Niger, Sokoto, Ekiti, Kogi, Ebonyi and Kwara.

Following incessant clashes between farmers and herders, the Federal Government in 2018 came up with various ranching models, including Ruga and the NLTP, to settle nomadic herdsmen, who are mostly Fulani.

On Sunday, the President’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a write-up in response to a story published by The Economist of London, said the Federal Government’s ranching programme had reduced insecurity in the country in the last 12 months.

He, therefore, urged state governors, who had not embraced the scheme, to do so

Kwasari said, “I have the list of all the governors, who have written to participate in the NLTP. There are 22 governors, who wrote to express interest in the NLTP.

“That is the first condition in the NLTP document. This project is not just something that is done on paper. There are guidelines as approved by the National Economic Council.”

Although he did not specify the amount that would be disbursed, the presidential aide said two of the states, Nasarawa and Plateau, would be getting financial support from the Federal Government for the establishment of model ranches in about a week.

He stated, “In fact, this morning (Tuesday), I was following up with the accountant-general’s office concerning the pilot money to Nasarawa and Plateau.

“We are expecting the Federal Government to credit Nasarawa and Plateau’s accounts; their sites are ready for take-off to build the first ranch and to train pastoralists in how to build ranches.”

Kwasari said Adamawa and Kaduna states were among the 10 states that had established offices and prepared for the programme.

“The government will support them, but they have their own contributions to make. We are also working with the Dutch Government, which has also given some support,” he added.

The presidential aide explained that the model ranches would be used to train pastoralists and help them build their own ranches.

He noted that some people had described the NLTP as another Ruga project.

He stated, “But the bottom-line is that the NLTP is an ecosystem approach. It has six pillars that address all the things that have gone wrong with our livestock production system.

“I just spoke with the office of the accountant-general and by Friday or in a week’s time, I should be able to tell you that the money has been credited to the Nasarawa and Plateau NLTP accounts.

“I will also be able to tell you when work will start on the model projects; to me, that is the most important thing.”

Kwasari added that states like Nasarawa, Adamawa, Plateau, Taraba, Gombe, Kogi, Kwara and Ondo, which had met the NLTP conditions, should be supported by the Federal Government in establishing model ranches.

Asked how much the Federal Government would give as support, he stated, “To build a pilot ranch for the training of pastoralists and crop farmers costs about N400m.

“However, some states have counterpart funding; for instance, Nasarawa has counterpart funding of up to 50 per cent from the Dutch Government. So, to build the ranch and run it for three years will cost about N400m.”

Animals in the ranches will not be allowed to leave the facility all year round, while households will send in representatives, who will be trained in the model ranches in the pilot states.

Kwasari noted that once the pastoralists were able to get feed and water for their livestock, they would have no business moving cattle from one state to another.

We’ve submitted business plan, says Ondo

When contacted, the Ondo State Government confirmed that it had submitted its business plan to the NLTP.

The Special Adviser to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Agriculture and Agric-business, Mr Akin Olotu, said the decision was in response to the Presidency asking the governors to provide land for ranching.

Olotu, however, did not say if the state would give land for ranching or not, but noted that Ondo was waiting for the NLTP’s action on the business plan.

“We have submitted our business plan to the National Livestock Transformation Programme since last year and we are still waiting for action on their part,” he simply stated.

Animal production a private venture – Enugu

But the Enugu State Government said that rearing cattle was a private venture like every other livestock production business.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Matthew Idu, stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents.

When asked if the state government would provide land for ranching, Idu asked, “Is it the Federal Government that is rearing the cattle? There are questions you people shouldn’t be asking; cattle rearing is an individual business, just as you have people rearing fish and other livestock.”

Ekiti has keyed into FG’s NLTP – Commissioner

On his part, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Olabode Adetoyi, said the state already had a ranch at Ikun Ekiti in the Moba Local Government Area of the state.

Adetoyi, who said there had been no discussion on the Federal Government’s appeal to states for land, said, “We already have a ranch at the Ikun Dairy Farm. There is no farm without a ranching facility there. For now, that is what we have on the ground.

“We have keyed into the National Livestock Transformation Plan. The Ikun Dairy Farm is the best ranch that any government can have in the country. It is a public-private partnership between the Ekiti State Government and Promasidor, the makers of Cowbell Milk, where we target the production of 10,000 litres of milk per day. At present, we are producing more than 100,000 litres per month.”

Herdsmen should buy land, Delta insists

The Delta State Government says it supports ranching as a panacea for the herders-farmers’ crises in the country.

The state Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, stated this in an interview with The PUNCH in Asaba.

He said, “Delta is in total support of ranching, but we do not have land to give. Without ranching, there can’t be any reasonable solution.

“Cattle rearing is a private business and anybody who engages in the business should look for land and acquire it.

“It is not the duty of the government to do so. If we begin to get land for cattle rearing, we should also get land for those who are into poultry and other businesses.”

Katsina earmarks 122,000 hectares for cattle grazing

In Katsina State, there are over 122,000 hectares of land for grazing sites out of which 7,000 hectares are currently being utilised for ranching.

It was also found out that ranching was being executed in 10 local government areas of Batsari, Jibia, Kurfi, Dutsin-ma, Safana, Danmusa, Kankara, Faskari, Sabuwa and Dandume.

Oyo rules out building ranches for herders

The Chief Press Secretary to the Oyo State Governor, Taiwo Adisa, stated that the anti-grazing law enacted by the Seyi Makinde administration would strictly guide livestock production in the state.

He stated, “Oyo State has an anti-open grazing law, which was signed into law in 2019. This has comprehensively spelt out the processes for the establishment of ranches by any intending livestock farmer.

“The Oyo State anti-open grazing law sees ranching as a personal business. Herdsmen are free to apply for land for that purpose.

“The disposition of the Oyo State Government is not in support of giving land for grazing reserves. The grazing control law does not give land, but for the herder to rent and renew land at intervals. The landowner too cannot sell land to any herdsman.”

By Okechukwu Nnodim, Peter Dada, Abiodun Nejo, Raphael Ede, Matthew Ochei, Olaide Oyelude and Olufemi Olaniyi.

(PUNCH)

Headline

US, ‘Preparing For Action’ In Nigeria, Says Department Of War

Published

13 hours ago

November 2, 2025

Editor

The United States has disclosed that it is “preparing for action” in Nigeria following reports of attacks on civilians in the country, particularly members of Christian communities.

U.S. President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post on Saturday, ordered the Department of War to ready itself for “possible action”.

Trump noted that “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”

He also warned that the U.S. would halt all aid to Nigeria and could deploy forces “guns-a-blazing” unless the Nigerian government acts swiftly to stop the violence.

“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump wrote.

“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”

Reacting to Trump’s post, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X on Sunday that the department is “preparing for action” to protect Christian civilians in Nigeria.

Hegseth said either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or the US will kill the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.

He stated, “Yes, sir. The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”

The announcement follows Trump’s recent designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998.

Trump wrote, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’ — but that is the least of it.”

He added that “When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me.

“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world!”

Nigeria now joins the list of nations previously placed under the designation, including Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

The development follows a series of violent attacks in parts of central Nigeria. Earlier this month, AFP reported that gunmen killed at least 14 people in two separate attacks in Plateau State, where clashes between herders and farmers, often divided along religious lines, remain common. Over 100 people were reportedly killed in similar attacks earlier this year.

“Land-use clashes between nomadic cattle herders, often members of the Muslim Fulani ethnic group, and farmers who are mainly Christian are common in central Nigeria,” the AFP report reads.

“The tensions escalated earlier this year after back-to-back massacres in Plateau State that saw more than 100 people killed, with state authorities claiming the killings were part of a ‘genocide’ that was ‘sponsored by terrorists’.”

However, the Federal Government has repeatedly dismissed Christian persecution allegations by some foreign officials, especially from the United States, and claims that Nigeria discriminates against any faith group.
The federal government, however, insists that the country remains a tolerant nation that guarantees freedom of religion for all citizens.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the claims, particularly by some United States officials, as misleading and not reflective of Nigeria’s security realities while speaking on CNN on Tuesday night.

According to the minister, some of the claims made by officials of the United States are based on faulty data and assumptions that the victims of the violence are largely Christians.

“Yes, there are Christians being attacked, but these criminals do not just target one religion. They target Christians and also target Muslims. We have seen that especially in the northern part of the country,” Idris clarified.

The minister warned that such narratives could inflame religious tensions, stressing that the government was committed to ensuring harmony and security for all Nigerians.

“Those promoting such claims are unwittingly playing into the hands of criminals whose ultimate objective is to incite conflict between Christians and Muslims,” he said.

Headline

Ex-US Mayor, Sultan Clash Over Alleged Christian Genocide

Published

1 day ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

A former Mayor of Blanco City in Texas, United States of America, Mike Arnold, has called on the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar III, to provide evidence to clear himself of his alleged involvement in what he described as “jihad genocide” and widespread killings in the country.

But the Sultanate Council of Sokoto described Arnold’s statement as baseless and undeserving of a response, saying the Sultan would not dignify the accusations with a reply.

The row erupted after Arnold, the founder of Africa Arise International, published a string of social media posts accusing the Sultan of being complicit in mass killings and resource looting in parts of northern Nigeria.

The Sultan had earlier rejected claims that Christians were being subjected to genocide in the North, saying such allegations were false and divisive, and urged the people to verify social media reports.

The Sultanate Council later described the fresh attacks on the monarch’s reputation as baseless and said the Sultan would not dignify the claims with further response.

However, speaking with The PUNCH, Arnold said available data and incidents across the northern part of the country suggested that the Sultan, being the spiritual and temporal head of more than 108 million Muslims, could not be entirely detached from the violent acts occurring “under his nose.”

Arnold questioned what he called the Sultan’s “silence and inaction” amid the wave of violent attacks and mass killings in the North, particularly those targeting Christian communities.

He said, “The evidence points to there being an intelligent designer of this whole diabolical machine of jihad, genocide, conquest, displacement, and resource extraction. There are many provable data points, and I believe the points paint a picture that demands the Sultan be investigated for these things.

“I am not declaring him guilty, only a prime suspect based on all available evidence. The facts demand investigation and answers to either determine his guilt or clear him of it. Let’s hear his case.

“The Nigerian government estimates that at least $9bn a year in minerals are looted from his own hereditary lands. Why hasn’t he tried to stop this? He has powerful armed militias under his authority, does he not? So why aren’t the illicit miners being stopped? Who is getting that money?”

The former Mayor also alleged that the Sultan had done little to address the rise of militant Fulani groups accused of carrying out numerous attacks, noting that while he once issued a fatwa against Boko Haram after the group challenged his authority, no similar action had been taken against Fulani militants.

“There have been more than 7,000 Christians massacred this year in his territory. If his own statement that no killing happens without traditional rulers knowing about it is true, then he knows more than anybody else,” Arnold said.

However, the Sultanate Council of Sokoto, while reacting through its Secretary, Alhaji Saidu Maccido, said the Sultan would not dignify the accusations with a reply, noting that both the Federal Government and the Nigerian Senate had already addressed the matter.

Maccido reaffirmed the Sultanate Council’s commitment to peace, unity, and national stability, urging Nigerians to ignore divisive and inflammatory narratives.

“The Sultan will not bring himself down to respond to such allegations again. The Federal Government has responded to the allegations, and I even recall that the Nigerian Senate also passed a resolution on it. Responding again will only make them feel important.

“The Sultanate Council remains focused on promoting peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and truth. We will not be distracted by baseless accusations,” he added.

Headline

Nicki Minaj Hails Trump For Designating Nigeria ‘Country Of Particular Concern’

Published

2 days ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

American rapper, Onika Maraj, popularly known as Nicki Minaj, has expressed gratitude following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious persecution.

Trump, in a post shared on his Truth Social platform on Friday, claimed that Christianity was facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria, accusing radical Islamists of carrying out widespread killings of Christians.

“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern,’” Trump wrote.

He added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening” and pledged that Washington would “stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world.”

Reacting to the move in a post on her X handle on Saturday, Minaj said the announcement made her feel deeply grateful for the freedom to worship in her own country.

She wrote, “Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practising their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other.”

The rapper noted that several countries around the world are suffering from religious persecution and warned against ignoring such human rights violations.

She also wrote, “Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror & it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice.

“Thank you to The President & his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”