Fact-Check: Claim That the Federal Government Has Banned Open Grazing in Nigeria Is Misleading!

BY: Abdulraheem Muhammed

A viral post shared by several Nigerian media outlets and influencers on X (formerly Twitter) claims that the Federal Government has officially banned open grazing across the country. FactCheckAfrica checked the claim.

Claim:

A post by The Nigeria Stories, a popular media platform on X, stated that the Federal Government has banned open grazing by cattle rearers nationwide as part of efforts to curb farmers–herders conflicts. The post quickly spread across social media, amplified by other newsrooms and influencers, gathering hundreds of thousands of views.

Verdict: MISLEADING!

The Federal Government has not announced any nationwide ban on open grazing. While the government has emphasised its preference for ranching and is implementing reforms to phase out open grazing, no official ban has been declared.

Full Text:

On November 25, 2025, at 6:31 p.m., The Nigeria Stories posted the following on its X handle:

“BREAKING NEWS: The Federal Government has banned open grazing by cattle rearers as part of efforts to curb the persistent farmers-herders conflicts across the country.”

The post went viral, attracting more than 458,000 views, 1,968 reposts, 605 quotes, and 8,095 likes.

Other media accounts, including Business Times, and popular influencers such as OurFaveOnlineDoc, also shared the claim.

Comments under the posts showed many Nigerians celebrating the supposed ban. One user wrote:

“Progressive… I commend the government for this ban.”

Another user claimed that a shift away from traditional herding was inevitable and urged support for pastoralists during the transition.

These reactions indicate that many users accepted the claim as true without verification.

Verification:

To verify the accuracy of the viral claim, FactCheckAfrica reviewed government statements, official ministry updates, and comments from key stakeholders.

Did the Federal Government announce a nationwide ban on open grazing? No!
On the same day the claim went viral, November 25, 2025, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, publicly debunked the report during the inauguration of the National Council on Livestock Development in Yola, Adamawa State.

The Ministry’s verified X handle published an official clarification at 7:17 p.m., stating:

• The Federal Government has not banned open grazing nationwide.
  
• The government is implementing a gradual transition from open grazing to ranching.
  
• The focus is on revitalizing 273 existing gazetted grazing reserves covering over 4.5 million hectares, not enforcing an immediate ban.
  

What is the government’s actual policy direction?

According to the minister, the grazing reserves are “legally designated business premises” for livestock.
The government aims to:

• modernize livestock production,
  
• reduce farmer–herder conflicts, and
  
• position livestock as Nigeria’s second-largest revenue source after oil.
  

The minister emphasized that an abrupt ban would disrupt the livelihoods of herders, hence the preference for gradual reforms.

Did the President address the issue? Yes!

On November 26, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu released a national statement addressing insecurity and the livestock sector. He said:

“I call on all herder associations to… end open grazing and surrender illegal weapons. Ranching is now the path forward for sustainable livestock farming and national harmony.”

This confirms that the government supports the transition to ranching, but did not declare a nationwide ban.

Meanwhile, some southern states since 2016 till date have promulgated anti-grazing legislation such as —  Benue, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Enugu, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Rivers, Oyo Abia, Delta, Ogun and Taraba. They took proactive steps to ensure occasional clashes between farmers and herders is stopped. However, these apply only within those states, not nationwide. The Federal Government has never enforced a blanket ban.

Conclusion:

The claim that the Nigerian Government has banned open grazing across the country is misleading. While the government is pushing for ranching and discouraging open grazing, no official nationwide ban has been declared. Ongoing livestock reforms focus on gradual transition, modernization, and conflict reduction, not an immediate prohibition. Users should rely on verified government sources and avoid sharing unconfirmed claims.