Legal Impediments to the Proposed Cattle Colonies in Nigeria

Abstract

In response to the frequent clashes between cattle herdsmen and farmers in some parts of the country, the Federal Government of Nigeria has proposed the establishment of cattle colonies across the country. It is believed by the Federal Government that the establishment of the cattle colonies would solve the continued herdsmen / farmers conflict in parts of the country. However, the above Federal Government proposal has been widely resented drawing heavy criticisms from major stakeholders particularly State Governors who are the chief custodian of Land in the territory of their respective States in the Country. This paper therefore examined the rationale and the expected benefits from the proposed cattle colonies. The paper particularly discussed the Legal Impediments to cattle proposal and recommended ranching as an alternative to the proposed colonies. Finally, the paper recognized that if the Federal Government would continue to pursue the said proposal on cattle colonies, there is the need for a radical amendment to the extant Laws on Land management and control in Nigeria.