Malami discloses  solutions to Farmer-Herder conflicts

The Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar
Malami, SAN has called for the stakeholder engagement in resolving the protracted farmer/herder conflict in the country.

Malami made the call at  the AB Dikko memorial symposium held in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State on Saturday 22nd, February, 2020.

He said that farmer/herder crisis is real and therefore requires real-time and practically-oriented solutions.

“The better approach towards resolving the crisis over the short, medium and long terms is to directly involve the stakeholders in the
coming up with solutions at the conception, implementation and monitoring faces,” he said.

According to the Minister, community-oriented approach is likely to yield greater dividend “in diffusing and eventually eliminating the menace that has retarded economic development and created wide-spread
insecurity”.

He  noted that addressing farmer-herder crisis from purely theoretical perspectives often devoid of reality and without synchronization with the needs and aspirations of the involved stakeholders is not only counter-productive, but inimical to the emergence and sustenance of a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.

The Minister, therefore advocated for setting-up of regulated grazing reserves to replace the “Burtali” or “Hurumi” pastoral system and
intensive enlightenment to livestock breeders on the need for sedentary farming and transhumance agriculture as complimentary
economic process to nomadic farming.

He said provision of water holes in remote grazing locations, subsidized veterinary care and mobile ambulatory services for surgeries and other medical interventions for livestock would be of great help.

Emphasizing on  the need to provide social amenities, educational facilities and cattle markets at central locations to accelerate
nomadic settlements, Malami said educating communities on the need for peaceful     co-existence and community engagement fora for bridge-building in community relations are of utmost importance.

According to the Minister, revamping of the activities of the Nomadic
Education Commission with a view to complimenting the efforts of government is essential in resolving the farmer-herder clashes.