The National Economic Council (NEC) has called for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s current livestock rearing system, citing its role in fuelling deadly farmer-herder clashes across the country. Chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Council made this resolution during its meeting on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The call for reform comes amid renewed violence in Plateau, Benue, and Kwara states, where dozens of people have been killed in recent weeks. Addressing journalists after the meeting, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri said the council unanimously agreed that Nigeria can no longer rely on outdated livestock production methods.

“Council emphasised the fact that we cannot continue to live in the past, and we must now work towards modernising livestock production in Nigeria,” Diri said, noting that the nomadic system is no longer sustainable and contributes significantly to the ongoing conflicts between herders and farmers.

The newly created Ministry of Livestock Development presented an Accelerated Livestock Development and Growth Strategy at the meeting. The initiative aims to modernise the sector and generate between $70 billion and $90 billion in revenue by 2035.

The longstanding conflict between nomadic Fulani herders and settled farmers—often framed along ethnic and religious lines—has plagued Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Recent massacres in Plateau State, with over 100 killed in two separate attacks, have been described by local officials as “genocide”, though critics argue the root causes lie in land disputes, poor governance, and climate stress.

While herder groups have condemned the killings, they also report being frequent victims of retaliatory attacks. Observers warn that increasing pressure on land from population growth and climate change is intensifying competition between farming and grazing communities, calling for urgent reforms and stronger policing to prevent further bloodshed.