From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has admitted that the plans to curb herder-farmer conflict is still facing political obstacles.
He spoke in Abuja on Thursday while inaugurating the 27-man Organising committee on National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation or Associated Conflict in Nigeria.
He also emphasised that modernising livestock sector is key to resolving herder-farmer conflict, which threatens Nigeria’s political stability and food security.
“I am sure that some of you will recall, that the Nigeria’s latest plan for curbing herder-farmer conflict is facing obstacles, particularly political opposition.
“You will also remember that in 2019, the federal government launched a 10-year National Livestock Transformation Plan to curtail the movement of cattle, boost livestock production and control the country’s deadly herder-farmer conflict.
“But inadequate political leadership, delays, funding uncertainties and lack of expertise derail the project, while COVID-19 pandemic intensified the challenges.
“That plan represents Nigeria’s most comprehensive strategy yet to encourage pastoralists to switch to ranching and other sedentary livestock production systems.
“It is an established fact that modernising the livestock sector is key to resolving the herder-farmer conflict, which threatens Nigeria’s political stability and food security,” he said.
Still addressing the committee headed the former chairman chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, Governor Ganduje said: “While the plan has also earned the endorsement of many state governments, it is regrettable that deficient political leadership, popular misperceptions about its purpose and widespread insecurity hindered its progress.
“In several states, especially in the North, there are duly gazetted grazing reserves, a majority of which are degraded and are without pasture or water especially in the dry season. Also, about 13 states agreed to allocate 5,000 hectares of land for the ranching or livestock production.
“The move by the federal government to establish the Ruga Settlement-which was received out of misconception with mass of criticisms, resulted in the suspension of the project in which contracts had already been awarded,” he said.
On how he fought the battle to keep Kano secured, he said: “”I am a strong proponent of restriction of herders’ movements into Nigeria from neighbouring countries as part of solution to tackling herder/farmer clashes. However, another issue worth taking into account is the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol which Nigeria signed in 1998.
“This guarantees free movement to pastoralists, herders across the sub-region. As signatories to that Protocol, Nigeria is obliged not to restrict the movement of herders and their cattle from other ECOWAS countries. This is an issue to be looked into.
“This has added a further complication to the problems we already have, besides most foreign herdsmen are exposed to the firearms market and are unknown to the local farming populace.
“It is gladdening therefore, to say that since assumption of office in 2015, we in Kano have led the way and have been pioneering the initiation of development-oriented interventions at reformation of the livestock sector to mitigate farmer/herder conflicts by tackling the issue headlong.
“This include the adoption of far-reaching measures to deal with the situation and also proposed collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank to fashion out a resettlement scheme that will take into consideration the educational, socio-economic and security well-being of the nomads as well as the disturbing issue of cattle rustling, banditry and encroachment of grazing areas due to the high increase of our population.
Apart from Jega, other committee members include, Jibrila Dahiru Amin, Pro-Chancellor, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano/Former Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Dutse;
Muhammad Yahaya Kuta, former SSG, Niger state and Professor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan; Martins -Oloja, Managing Director, Guardian Newspaper, Bashir Haruna Usman, Executive Secretary, National Commission for Nomadic Education; M. D. Abubakar, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, L&Z Integrated Farms Ltd;
Others include; Kabiru Ibrahim, Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria; Rabe Isah Mani, former Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative in Nigeria, Aminu Ibrahim Daneji, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Isma’ila Zango, Department of Sociology, Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Representative of the Senate, Bello Kaoje Representing the House o Representatives, Winnie Lai Solarin Representing Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Musa Sani Nuhu Ambassador/Permanent Representatives of Nigeria to the ECOWAS Representing of Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Mallam. Isa Yuguda, Former Governor of Bauchi State among others.