The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has raised fresh concerns over the Federal Government’s proposed pilot livestock scheme, demanding full details of the lands earmarked for the programme before any implementation.
The forum said it was particularly concerned about the inclusion of communities in Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory in the proposed scheme.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the SMBLF warned that the programme must not become a vehicle for taking over ancestral lands or imposing ranching projects on communities without their consent.
The statement was signed by HRM Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Leader of Afenifere and Chairman of SMBLF; Dr Bitrus Pogu, President of the Middle Belt Forum; Senator John Azuta-Mbata, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; and Ambassador Godknows Igali, National Chairman of PANDEF.
The forum said its objection was not to ranching or modern livestock production but to what it described as the lack of transparency surrounding the proposed pilot scheme.
It questioned the decision to focus the programme largely on the Middle Belt, arguing that the government should explain the criteria used in selecting the proposed locations.
According to the SMBLF, the programme could have serious implications for land ownership, farming communities, security and the future use of ancestral lands if implemented without adequate safeguards.
The group also cited the previous RUGA and cattle colony proposals, saying Nigerians had rejected similar initiatives because of concerns over land ownership and possible demographic changes.
The forum urged the Federal Government to make public the exact locations of the proposed ranches, the size of the affected lands, the legal basis for their acquisition, ownership arrangements, intended beneficiaries, funding sources and security plans.
It further called on governments and communities in the Southern states to pay close attention to the policy and resist any expansion that fails to respect community land rights.
The SMBLF said it would continue to oppose any attempt to acquire community lands under the guise of livestock development until the Federal Government provides adequate explanations and guarantees the rights of affected communities.
