Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Last Saturday was an eventful day for the agriculture sector in Kano State. That day, two events that would impact greatly on the lives of the people were rolled out.
The events were inauguration of the Kano State Stock Routes Committee, to address the reoccurring farmers/herdsmen crises and donation of motorcycles to extension workers to enhance productivity and effectiveness.
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said the move became necessary, to forestall crisis between farmers and herdsmen due to blocking of stock routes, damage to crops and resource use:
“Such conflicts frequently escalate to disruption of economic activities, loss of property and even loss of lives.
Against this background, we saw the critical need to look at the farmers-herdsmen issue objectively, with a view of finding a lasting solution to the problem.
“Consequently, as part of long-term efforts to ensure sustainable peace and promote socio-economic activities, our administration, through the Kano Agro Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), has mapped out strategies to implement several activities aimed at addressing the problems of stock routes, grazing reserves and other developmental initiatives especially for our herdsmen and farmers.
“Such interventions will significantly reduce conflicts between farmers and herdsmen, enhance pastoralism, control nomadic life style and its repercussions, and bring about socio-economic development of our people.”
The governor disclosed that the Stock Routes Committee has the Managing Director, KNARDA as chairman. Others are the representatives of KSADP State Project, representative of Ministry of Agriculture and representative of Ministry of Justice.
Also in the committee are the representatives of the Ministry of Land, Ministry of Environment, Police, the Department of State Security, representatives of the five emirate councils and representatives of Miyetti Allah and FULDAN, both Fulani socio- cultural organisations.
The committee is to supervise the activities of local governments, stock route committees to implement its activities smoothly and to mobilize relevant stakeholders (farmers, pastoralists’ security agencies, etc) on the activities of the local government committees.
It is also to assist the KSADP and consultants on how to achieve their improvement plans in the identified stock routes in various local government areas and to help in stressing the importance of community participation in stock route development.