The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) has said open grazing in the region is not longer sustainable.

The forum which was headed by its Chairman and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong came to an agreement during its emergency meeting held virtually to discuss issues affecting the region and the nation, that herdsmen would be sensitises on the need to adopt new methods of herding by ranching or other acceptable modern methods.

The governors also appealed to the Federal Government to support states with grants to directly undertake pilot projects of modern livestock production that will serve as springboard and evidence for breaking resistance to the full implementation of new methods of livestock production.

The forum had earlier expressed concerns over the tension generated by the eviction order issued to herdsmen in some parts of the country, saying that it is heating the already fragile security atmosphere.

The governors said there were already threats of reprisals which they were working assiduously to contain.

They resolved to urgently meet to discuss the issue holistically with a view to resolving all areas of misunderstanding and conflicts arising from these threats and suspicion for the sake of national unity.

The Northern Governors called for restraint from leaders, including those in the Southern parts of the country where passions are high, and urged the citizens of the north to continue to live in peace with all Nigerians irrespective of their origins and backgrounds.

Also, they urged political leaders to segregate between criminality and social groups in their domains with a view to treating criminals like criminals.

They condemned every form of criminality whether from herders, hunters, or farmers occupying forest reserves illegally.

A resolution was also reached to engage elders and youths in a robust discussion in order to douse the tensed security environment in the north, and a four-man committee was set up in that respect to be headed by the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum.