Taraba varsity lecturer writes Tinubu, calls for ban on open grazing - Punch reports

President Bola Tinubu

A lecturer at Taraba State University, Professor John Ajai, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently review Nigeria’s commitment to the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol and fast-track the enactment of a national law banning open grazing across the country.

Punch reports that Ajai made the call in an open letter addressed to the President on Sunday, where he warned that the country was facing a “defining moment” that demands bold executive action to protect national sovereignty, security, and unity.

According to him, the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol, which was originally intended to facilitate pastoral mobility across West Africa, has worsened insecurity, encouraged violent land occupation by armed groups, and undermined Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

“The unregulated cross-border movements have enabled not just pastoralists but heavily armed groups to enter Nigerian territories under the guise of transhumance,” he said.

Ajai said this has led to the displacement of indigenous communities, destruction of livelihoods, and growing animosities across several states, including Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa.

Submitting further, the report states that citing a USAID-funded report, Ajai noted that between 2015 and 2019, Nigeria recorded approximately 7,000 deaths and an estimated $13 billion in annual economic losses due to violent conflicts linked to pastoral activities.

He warned that criminal networks and insurgents such as Boko Haram were exploiting the loopholes in the free movement protocols to smuggle arms, conduct surveillance, and perpetrate acts of terrorism.

Ajai argued that continued adherence to the outdated protocol discourages investment in modern livestock practices such as ranching and feedlot systems, which are essential for agricultural transformation and national food security.

Describing the situation as a “dangerous erosion of sovereignty,” he urged President Tinubu to order a comprehensive reassessment of Nigeria’s participation in the protocol and, if necessary, renegotiate or withdraw from it in the national interest.

Ajai also commended the President for the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, describing it as a “visionary step,” but stressed that more decisive measures were required to outlaw open grazing permanently.

He appealed to Tinubu to champion the swift passage and implementation of the Anti-Open Grazing Bill, which has already passed the third reading in the Senate, saying it offers a historic opportunity to address the root causes of violent land occupation.

“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.

The report concludes that Ajai expressed optimism that with firm leadership, Nigeria could overcome its current security challenges and reclaim its position as a united and prosperous nation in Africa.