The Nigerian Government has identified 417 grazing reserves nationwide and commenced a pilot ranching programme in Plateau State as part of measures to curb farmer-herder conflicts and reduce the open movement of cattle across the country. Maiha attributed the growing challenges associated with nomadic livestock production to the disappearance of traditional grazing routes as a result of expanding farmlands, rapid urbanisation and increasing demand for land for infrastructure development. Large farms have come up, aggressive urbanisation and demand for land for infrastructure development have made nomadism unsustainable,” he said. “At the end of the day, each of those grazing reserves will become an economic hub. The Minister said consultations had so far encountered no resistance from pastoral communities, noting that stakeholders increasingly acknowledged the need for a new livestock production system.