Tinubu’s Modern Grazing Reserve Targets Bloody Farmer–Herder Clashes

…New Kawu Project Marks Decisive Move Against Bloodshed

By Yinka Giwa
After years of violent clashes, bloodshed, and displacements that have devastated Nigeria’s farmlands and rural communities, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has taken a historic step towards lasting peace with the unveiling of the modernised Kawu Grazing Reserve in Bwari Area Council of the FCT.

Spanning 9,000 hectares and designed to accommodate 30,000 cattle and 10,000 households, the reserve is a flagship of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to modernise livestock production while addressing one of the country’s most intractable security and development challenges.

At the commissioning, Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, said the reserve is structured to end the cycle of clashes by providing water, pasture, and social amenities in a single location. Equipped with a dam for dry-season pasture cultivation and several motorised boreholes, the project directly tackles the resource scarcity that has long fueled deadly conflicts.

“This is more than just a grazing reserve; it is a peace and stability project,” Maiha declared. “By creating structured communities for pastoralists—with water, schools, healthcare, power, and security—we are removing the drivers of conflict and building harmony with farmers.”

The government is mobilising multiple agencies to support the project: the Rural Electrification Agency will power the reserve with solar energy, the Universal Basic Education Board is establishing schools, and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will set up healthcare centres. Security agencies are also being deployed to guarantee safety.

The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) will expand this model nationwide, adding veterinary clinics, abattoirs, markets, irrigation systems, and road networks to grazing reserves, transforming them into serviced mini-towns.

Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, National Coordinator of L-PRES, said the modern reserves would stabilise pastoralist livelihoods, reduce migration, and unlock economic opportunities. “The days of water and pasture shortages sparking violence are ending. The Kawu reserve is a milestone in building peace through prosperity,” he said.

With this bold move, the Tinubu government is positioning itself as the first administration to confront the farmer–herder crisis head-on, turning a perennial national tragedy into an opportunity for peace, productivity, and prosperity.