The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he is taking careful steps when handling the issue of open grazing within the capital city. He made this known on Monday during his regular monthly briefing in Abuja. Wike noted that leadership in Nigeria comes with several layers of difficulty, and issues like open grazing are not easily resolved without triggering further problems.
The FCT Minister explained that open grazing in Abuja remains one of the pressing concerns of his administration. He acknowledged that many Nigerians are not comfortable seeing cattle on city roads, but he added that decisions around resolving this issue must be made with caution to avoid worsening existing tensions in the country.
“The country we are in is not an easy one, no rational person will be happy seeing cows on the roads,” Wike said.
He pointed out that Nigeria’s diversity and present challenges require a thoughtful approach, especially when dealing with sensitive matters like land use and herder activities. Wike said his office is working hard behind the scenes to find a practical solution, one that considers both the rights of herders and the growing concerns of residents.
“There are so much complications that you have to thread consciousness and very careful in understanding the complexities of our nation now that we have so much crisis so we don’t compound the issues,” he added.
He revealed that his administration inherited a complex land situation, with land originally designated for grazing already under dispute. According to him, about 1,000 hectares had been allocated for grazing purposes in the past, but land grabbers have now taken over large portions of it. Wike said that efforts are ongoing to reclaim this land, but the process is difficult and requires strategic steps.
“For example, before I came there was a place where land was allocated for grazing reserves, about 1000 hectares, if I tell you the fight we are currently fighting,” he noted.
Despite the challenges, Wike insisted that the government would find a way forward, though slowly and with care. He stressed that governance is different from managing private business, and that public leaders must act responsibly and with foresight.
“The truth is that nobody is happy about it, I don’t want to do something….. governance is not like when you are running a private business, you have to thread cautiously and we are doing everything we can,” he said.
