The ranching misnomer: Nigeria’s livestock sector vocabulary crisis

BY JUNAIDU MAINA

“The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.” — Confucius

A silent but significant problem is creeping into Nigeria’s livestock policy debates: confusion over basic livestock terminologies. From government speeches to online discussions, terms like ranching, dairy farming, and feedlot operations are often used interchangeably, as if they were simply alternatives to pastoralism. They are not. This widespread misuse is fuelling flawed policies, misinformed public debates, and growing concern from international livestock experts.

The vocabulary problem

At the heart of this confusion is the word “ranching.” Today in Nigeria, virtually any organised livestock enterprise—whether a peri-urban dairy farm, a zero-grazing operation, or a cattle feedlot—is casually described as a ranch.

One glaring example of Nigeria’s livestock terminology problem is the name Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria (CODARAN)—a term that simply doesn’t add up. By that logic, dairy farmers in Europe or East Africa would also be called ranchers, which they are not. A far more accurate name would be the Commercial Dairy Farmers Association of Nigeria (CODAFAN), which actually reflects the organisation’s purpose. Yet this inconsistency is often casually overlooked.

Such misclassifications may seem harmless, but they have consequences. They mislead investors, confuse policymakers, and cast doubt on Nigeria’s seriousness when engaging in global livestock forums.

When state governments and local investors invite foreign partners to “come and invest in ranching,” even in areas where ecological and land conditions make true ranching impossible, it exposes a fundamental misunderstanding. Experienced investors know that arid and semi-arid lands are best suited for such systems, so many may quietly wonder whether Nigeria has misunderstood the concept—or is deliberately misrepresenting it. Sceptics and adversaries may even jump to the conclusion that Nigerians are “at it again,” hinting at an economic scam reminiscent of a ‘419’-style scheme. Yet ranching has a precise, globally recognised meaning, and misusing the term serves no one.

What ranching really means

Ranching is a commercial livestock production system carried out on large, enclosed land holdings. Cattle or other ruminants freely graze on natural or improved pastures within fenced boundaries. Ranching combines the grazing traditions of pastoralism with structured land tenure, controlled stocking rates, and modern management practices. Its goals are clear: to ensure sustainable use of rangelands, achieve higher productivity, and improve resource management.

To clarify another commonly misunderstood term—“open grazing”—it is important to note that animals in both ranching systems and pastoralism actually practise open grazing. The distinction lies in boundaries: in ranching, livestock freely graze within fenced enclosures made possible by barbed wire, while in pastoralism, they move across unfenced rangelands with no physical barriers

Moreover, not every livestock enterprise is a ranch. In Nigeria today, many intensive production systems are routinely—but incorrectly—described as ranching:

Dairy farming

This is a specialised enterprise focused on milk production. It involves routine milking, animal health care, balanced nutrition, and hygienic handling and storage of milk. Dairy farms—whether in Denmark, Kenya or Nigeria—are not ranches.

Feedlot operations

Feedlots are intensive, confined production systems designed to rapidly fatten cattle for the beef market. Animals are fed high-energy, scientifically formulated rations, and the system requires strict health protocols and effective waste management. While feedlots play an important role in reducing pressure on grazing lands, they have little connection to ranching—aside from the fact that ranches supply the yearlings they finish.

Zero-grazing or stall feeding

In this high-input system, animals are kept in housing units and all feed is brought to them. Zero-grazing is common dairy production in urban and peri-urban areas where land is scarce. It is efficient but entirely different from ranching.

Pastoralism explained

Pastoralism remains one of Nigeria’s most important livestock production systems. It is based on extensive free grazing of rangelands and relies on mobility, flexible land use, and communal grazing resources. Pastoralism thrives in arid and semi-arid environments and makes productive use of even land that is otherwise unsuitable for farming.

There are two key forms of pastoralism.

Transhumance

A seasonal movement of livestock between wet-season and dry-season grazing areas along established routes. Families maintain a semi-permanent home base while herds move to optimise pasture availability.

Agro-pastoralism

A mixed system combining crop cultivation with livestock grazing. While mobility is reduced, households still move animals seasonally when necessary. It enhances food security and livelihood resilience.

The case against abolition of open grazing

Nigeria has a land mass of 92.3 million hectares, with 70.8 million hectares suitable for agriculture, yet barely half of that—about 34–35 million hectares—was cultivated last year. Take maize, one of Nigeria’s most widely grown crops: annual production averages 12–13 million tonnes—barely enough to meet human consumption and the needs of intensive commercial poultry, leaving a yearly shortfall. This raises a critical question: Is Nigeria truly ready for other intensive livestock production systems that require commercial feed?

However, research shows that under the current livestock production system, ruminants are the most efficient users of non-arable land, fallow fields, and crop residues. Cattle can convert 86% of cereal biomass produced from cropping—material inedible to humans—into high-quality protein. When grasses and shrubs from open rangelands and fallow land are added, millions of tonnes of potential feed would go to waste unless cattle are allowed to graze freely.

This is why pastoralism and open grazing emerged in the first place—they are ecological adaptations, not cultural accidents.

A final weaponised term used against pastoralism is the deliberate stretching of “farmer–herder conflict” from its original meaning—occasional farm trespass during the cropping season—to encompass virtually every rural crime involving a herder, from kidnapping to even two-fighting. This careless misuse is inflicting real harm on pastoralism, a proven livelihood system built for uncertainty, and risks pushing it toward an unnecessary, consequential death.

In conclusion, if we hope to transition pastoralism into more intensive systems—rather than engineer its collapse—we must replace guesswork with precision. Getting the terminology right is the first step to implementing the policy right.

Junaidu Maina can be contacted via [email protected]