The governors of the 19 northern states have backtracked on their earlier support for cattle colonies, saying that ranching would better check the bloody clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the country.
The governors made their position known in a communique issued at the end of a Northern Governors Forum meeting which held in Kaduna on Thursday.
The communique read by the forum Chairman and Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, said that ranching would, apart from checking the crisis, improve productivity of cattle.
According to the communique, cattle in other climes produce up to 40 litres of milk while the breed of cattle in Nigeria produce just a litre.
Shettima said this is not enough for the nation’s teeming population.
He added that the state governments have begun efforts to improve the breed of cattle in the country and the milk they produce.
The governors also expressed their commitment to working with the federal government to address the herdsmen/farmers clashes and other security challenges across the country.