The 2027 senatorial candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Juliet Muoneme, has promised to sponsor legislation regulating cattle movement in the territory if elected, with the aim of ending the roaming of cows on Abuja streets and major roads.
Speaking Friday in Abuja during a media engagement with the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE), Muoneme said the persistent presence of cattle on major roads posed risks to residents and required a comprehensive policy response.
“Not just stopping them from moving, but how do we take care of them too,” she said, explaining that her proposed law would go beyond simply banning cattle from public roads to establish a structured livestock management system, including designated ranches and facilities for cattle owners.
She argued that the FCT had sufficient land to support such an arrangement.
“FCT is so wide, is so large that we can actually create ranches,” she said.
Cattle roaming has remained a persistent problem in Abuja despite past efforts by the FCT Administration to curb open grazing.
The administration announced a ban on open grazing within the territory in 2021 and proposed designated grazing areas, but the issue has continued.
In June 2026, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike apologised to residents over the continued presence of cattle on Abuja roads and said he took responsibility for the situation.
Muoneme said her proposed intervention would balance the interests of residents and livestock owners, describing cattle as economic assets rather than mere sources of urban inconvenience.
She said organised ranching could open up opportunities in meat production, dairy, hides and skins, and other segments of the livestock value chain, while cutting down on road accidents and other hazards caused by wandering animals.
Drawing on her background in livestock management, she said cattle could be kept in designated locations rather than left to roam.
“There will be two bills in one,” she said, describing a legislative framework that would combine regulation of cattle movement with measures to properly manage livestock.
She stressed that the goal was not to criminalise livestock ownership but to build an organised system that protects residents while improving conditions for cattle owners.
Muoneme said the proposal would form part of her broader FCT RISE Agenda, which she described as representation, research, innovation, inclusion, stewardship, entrepreneurship and empowerment.
She said the agenda would tackle challenges facing residents across the six area councils, including housing, youth unemployment, skills development and limited access to economic opportunities.
She proposed collaboration among government, private developers and financial institutions to expand affordable housing through mortgage arrangements, along with an automobile hub where mechanics, electricians and other professionals could work while engineering graduates receive hands on training.
Muoneme, who has a background in education, research and human capacity development, said her political ambition was driven by a desire to offer practical solutions to societal problems.
“Politics is not dirty. Politics is about leadership. Politics is service,” she said.
She maintained that an FCT senator should be a strong voice for residents across all six area councils, capable of influencing policies and projects that improve their quality of life, adding that regulating cattle movement would be part of a wider agenda to improve urban order, create economic opportunities and enhance living conditions in the nation’s capital.
