The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) has officially declared that open grazing is no longer sustainable in Benue State, marking a significant shift in position on the controversial practice that has fueled conflicts between herders and farmers in the region.

Ibrahim Galma, Secretary of MACBAN in Benue State, made this declaration on Tuesday during a One-Day Stakeholders Engagement and Launch of the AgroPastoral Integration for Peace and Sustainable Development (AIPASD) Project organized by GoGreen Environmental Health Sustainability Initiatives under the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme.

"We now know quite well that open grazing is not sustainable, not only in Benue state but in Nigeria in general," Galma stated. "And from all indications, we have come to understand that there is a need for us to adapt to the reality because of the growing population, the challenge of insecurity, and the climatic conditions that are adversely affecting our rural communities."

Galma assured that MACBAN would fully support the AIPASD project aimed at fostering peace in Benue's rural communities, noting that the association had been involved since its pilot stage. He emphasized the importance of establishing partnerships between herders and farmers to achieve the project's objectives.

"The position of MACBAN is that we are fully in support of this project from the beginning and we are going to be in this project to the end," he affirmed. "Now that the project has been expanded within Guma and Makurdi Local Government Areas, key stakeholders in the areas should be involved, and we should also have a local committee comprising the Ardos and traditional rulers to help the pastoralists get knowledge of how to live peacefully with farmers."

Peter China, the Benue State Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), highlighted the severe impact of the herders crisis on farming activities in the state. He lamented that for eight years, many farmers in Benue were unable to access their farms due to the ongoing conflicts.

Jackson Ameh, Chief Executive Officer of GoGreen Environmental Health Sustainability Initiatives, described the stakeholders' engagement as "a significant milestone in the collective journey towards building a more peaceful, resilient, and inclusive Benue state."

This development comes amid years of tension and deadly clashes between herders and farming communities in Benue State, which led to the implementation of the state's anti-open grazing law in 2017. The acknowledgment by MACBAN that open grazing is no longer sustainable represents a potential turning point in addressing the protracted conflict that has claimed numerous lives and displaced thousands of residents in the state.