Lawmakers mull Bill to ban open grazing

A Bill seeking to ban open grazing and establish ranches for herders has passed a second reading in Nigeria’s Senate. The Premium Times reports that it was passed during the plenary after Senate President Godswill Akpabio tabled it. He directed the committees to report to the Senate in one month. Lawmaker Enyinnaya Abaribe, who supported the Bill, identified the farmer-herder clashes as the major reason for food insecurity in the country. He also asked Parliament to review the law that empowered states to take ownership of land. Kawu Sumaila opposed the Bill, saying ‘it is contrary to the Constitution and we will fight it to the end’.