The federal government has officially begun relocating approximately 30,000 heads of cattle from the Abuja city centre to the Kawu grazing reserve, located in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
This move marks a significant step towards curbing the movement of cattle and herders within the urban parts of the capital.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, launched the pilot project on Saturday with the commissioning of a solar-powered borehole at the 9,000-hectare Kawu reserve.
The minister stated that the relocation is part of broader efforts to develop a model for sustainable livestock farming while enhancing security and infrastructure in rural areas.
“Today, we are here at Kawu grazing reserve to put commitment to those pronouncements. These were not empty promises. Here today, we have come with a bag full of commitment, dedication, and passion,” Maiha said during the commissioning ceremony. “This grazing reserve is about 9,000 hectares of land, and it has, from our own estimation, about 30,000 heads of cattle with more than 10,000 human beings. We are saying that this grazing reserve is going to come alive.”
According to the minister, the reserve will accommodate over 10,000 herders and their families. As part of the project, the government is constructing essential infrastructure, including a 15-kilometre access road, educational and healthcare facilities, irrigation systems, markets, and security posts. Maiha noted that his ministry had signed a partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to provide solar energy to the community and is also working with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Ministry of Health to ensure the delivery of education and health services.
He also revealed that the dam within the reserve will be desilted and repurposed for irrigation and pasture cultivation. Security personnel will be stationed in the area to ensure the safety of residents and livestock. Describing the project as a key component of President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda,” Maiha said the initiative aims to turn the grazing reserve into an economic hub for livestock, dairy, meat, and organic manure production.
Idris Abiola-Ajimobi, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Livestock Development, announced that N13 billion was allocated for livestock development in the 2024 budget, with additional funding secured from development partners. He described the Kawu project as a pilot initiative that would serve as a model for the rehabilitation of 417 grazing reserves across the country.
Also speaking at the event, Khalil Mohammed Bello, National President of the Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN), expressed the readiness of herders to embrace the relocation. “We are now extremely happy for being among the people who are enjoying the laudable project of this government policies and programme. We are ready to relocate to the Kawu grazing reserve. We accept it in totality,” Bello said.
