If Buhari had brought South Africans or Argentines to build a world-class ranch with a modern abattoir in Katsina, it could have employed thousands, exported Halal meat to Saudi Arabia, increased IGR and FDI, and reduced banditry.
However, his attempt to grab land in States was resisted. Anyone can build a ranch in any State with Federal funding, but the idea of the Federal Government earmarking land for cattle rearing is absurd. Should land be set aside for fish farming in freshwater bodies?
Ranches could foster a symbiotic North-South relationship, but the messenger of ranching was flawed.
Technology offers solutions. The RBC-100, a LoRaWAN-compliant rumen capsule, captures cattle activity, rumen temperature, and movement. Inserted into cattle, it transmits data to a LoRaWAN Base Station and a cloud-based platform.
State Governors should pass laws requiring GPS locators for all livestock entering their state. Animals without GPS locators would be seized. Ranchers with GPS-equipped herds could move to approved grazing fields, pay fees, and graze peacefully. With such commercial arrangements, States would welcome cattle herds for the revenue generated from grazing (not on farm produce), and ranchers would be protected from rustling due to GPS tagging.
Grass isn't free. The first Sovereign Wealth Fund was created by a state (Texas) charging ranches for grazing rights, and funding public schools with the revenues generated.
It's 2025, not 1825. Let's act like it.