Nigerian governors of the northern region have asked the federal government to provide funding for the establishment of ranches across the region.
The Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong who appeared on Channels Television’s News @ 10 on Tuesday, said the state governors had been in support of ranching over time.
According to him, the rise of banditry and the recent quit notices by some state governments in the western part of the country, had seen anching as the “the only way to control the insecurity.
“We were advising the federal government to also give grants to states that are ready with land.
“We are not saying that it is compulsory for states that are not ready. But many states in the North are ready.
“We need some grants to start so that these people will not be moving here and there. We need to also keep them in one place. It’s business. So definitely, that’s the only way to control the insecurity,” Lalong said.
He added that all stakeholders, including cattle herderss across the country, welcome the idea of ranching.
“But there is this lack of funds to the state, there is lack of encouragement to the state.
“When you start restricting people, you must provide alternatives,” he said.
