INSTITUTE OF SECURITY NIGERIA CALLS FOR UNITY, DUE PROCESS, AND SHARED PROSPERITY IN LIVESTOCK POLICY DEBATE

…. Position Paper Affirms Indigenous Rights, Constitutional Citizenship, and the Necessity of a Consent-Based Ranching Model for National Security and Development

The Institute of Security Nigeria (ISN), a leading policy research and strategic studies organisation, has waded into the national conversation on the Federal Government’s livestock modernization policy with a comprehensive position paper that rejects the false choice between indigenous land rights and constitutional citizenship.

In a detailed analysis responding to the recent statements by the Middle Belt Forum and Dr. Umar Ardo, the Institute affirms that Nigeria’s stability and progress depend on a governance framework that respects ancestral heritage while upholding the constitutional rights of all citizens. The paper, titled “LAND, INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL CITIZENSHIP: A CRITICAL SECURITY AND GOVERNANCE ANALYSIS OF THE FEDERAL LIVESTOCK POLICY DEBATE IN NIGERIA,” was authored by Barrister Adebayo Akinade, DFISN, Deputy President and Chief Executive of the Institute.

The Institute acknowledges that the Middle Belt Forum is historically correct in asserting the indigenous custodianship of land under customary law and the Land Use Act. It equally affirms that Dr. Umar Ardo is constitutionally correct in citing Sections 41 and 42 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee every Nigerian the right to reside and acquire property anywhere in the country without discrimination. Furthermore, the Institute agrees with the Federal Government that transitioning to modern ranching is an economic and environmental necessity in the face of climate change, population pressure, and decades of destructive farmer-herder conflict.

However, the ISN warns that framing land and residency rights along ethnic lines constitutes a hybrid threat that undermines state authority, fuels communal violence, and delegitimizes governance institutions. The weaponization of ethnicity in the livestock debate has already contributed to the loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Nigerians since 2010. The Institute cautions that collective blame against any ethnic group violates the constitutional presumption of innocence and endangers the social cohesion that is essential for sustainable development.

The Institute’s position paper proposes a “Consent + Citizenship + Security” framework anchored on due process, community consent, intelligence-led policing, surveillance, undercover operations, and interagency collaboration. It calls for the establishment of a National Livestock Development and Peace Commission to manage consultation, compensation, and conflict resolution, with host communities made equity partners in all ranch projects.

The Institute further recommends that all federal livestock projects must be executed through memoranda of understanding signed by state governors, local government chairmen, traditional rulers, and community representatives. No land should be acquired without consent and prompt compensation, as mandated by the Land Use Act and the Constitution. The Institute insists that indigenous communities must be given first right of employment, contracts, and equity stakes in ranching projects, ensuring that development translates into tangible benefits for host communities.

On the security architecture, the ISN recommends the deployment of Livestock Protection Units under the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, supported by drone surveillance, satellite mapping, and community intelligence. It advocates for the establishment of an Interagency Taskforce on Land-Related Conflict under the Office of the National Security Adviser to bring together the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, the military intelligence community, and the Ministry of Justice in a coordinated response to land-based violence. The Institute also stresses the need for information fusion centres to collate data on land disputes, hate speech, and criminal activity for joint operational response.

The Institute calls on the Federal Government to send a Livestock Development Bill to the National Assembly to provide legislative backing for the policy and to publish a White Paper clearly stating that no land will be taken without consent and compensation, and that ranches are open to all Nigerians who invest. It urges state governments, particularly in the Middle Belt, to digitise land records, create state livestock transformation plans, and enforce anti-open grazing laws with viable alternatives.

To the Middle Belt Forum, the Institute appeals for a shift from opposition to negotiation, urging the forum to use its moral authority to secure the best terms for host communities while avoiding ethnic framing that undermines national unity. The Institute encourages indigenous communities to know their rights under the law, engage constructively with government and investors, and reject violence as a means of resolving land disputes.

The Institute of Security Nigeria affirms two truths simultaneously: indigenous communities are the primary custodians of land under the Land Use Act and customary law, and their consent, participation, and benefit are non-negotiable; and Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians, and no Nigerian can be denied the right to live, farm, or do business anywhere in the country on account of ethnicity.

The way forward, according to the Institute, lies in lawful land acquisition, secure communities, and shared prosperity. Land must be acquired only through consent, compensation, and due process. Security architecture must protect farmers, herders, and ranchers equally without discrimination. Economic models must ensure that host communities are partners, not victims.

The Institute emphasizes that good governance and justice at all levels of political administration are essential to achieving peaceful coexistence, unity, development, and progress. It calls on all political leaders, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, and citizens to reject divisive rhetoric and embrace dialogue, consultation, and constitutionalism as the path to a stable and prosperous Nigeria.

The Institute reaffirms its commitment to transformative security, social cohesion, and sustainable development, as articulated in its foundational works including “National Security, Social Cohesion and Sustainable Development,” “Community Conflicts and Violence,” and “Security Perceptions, Logic Thinking and Innovations.” It urges all stakeholders to recognise that the task is not to determine which group owns Nigeria, but to build a country where development respects heritage and the law protects everyone.

The full position paper is available on the Institute’s official platforms.

For further information, please contact:

Barrister Adebayo Akinade, DFISN
Deputy President & Chief Executive
Institute of Security Nigeria
Email: bayoakinade77@gmail.com | bayoakinade@yahoo.co.uk

Institute of Security Nigeria: Advancing Policy, Research, and Strategic Studies for National Security and Development.