Political Will, Rule of Law, Modern Husbandry Key to Ending Farmer-Herder Clashes, Says Gov Yahaya

Segun Awofadeji in Gombe 

Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya says his administration has developed a comprehensive and forward-looking framework, captured in a White Paper, to stem the tide of farmer-herder conflicts, banditry and related security challenges, even as the state continues to record very few incidents of such conflicts.

The Governor stated this while formally inaugurating a high-level White Paper Implementation Committee on Grazing Reserves, Forest and Game Reserves, and Cattle Routes in the state Friday. 

The committee is composed of security experts, legal practitioners and geospatial technology professionals, and is tasked with translating the government’s policies into concrete, enforceable actions.

Governor Inuwa Yahaya explained that the committee’s inauguration follows the earlier work of an Assessment Committee set up by his administration to examine challenges associated with grazing reserves, forest and game reserves, as well as cattle routes, with a view to proposing practical and sustainable solutions. 

The findings and recommendations of that assessment have since been approved by the State Executive Council and articulated in a White Paper.

According to the Governor, the initiative is aimed at dismantling archaic and unregulated grazing practices, strengthening security and legal frameworks, and preventing farmer-herder clashes, while guaranteeing food security and peaceful coexistence across the state.

“One of the most persistent challenges confronting Northern Nigeria, and indeed the country at large, is the perennial conflict between farmers and herders, often triggered by competition over land and resources, especially during harvest seasons,” the Governor said.

He added that, “Encroachment on grazing reserves, forest reserves and cattle routes has worsened the situation, and the failure of successive administrations to address this problem with the required political will is not only appalling but unacceptable.”

Governor Inuwa Yahaya noted that despite Nigeria’s rapidly growing population, vast expanses of land remain uncultivated and underutilised, stressing that such resources can be effectively harnessed to modernise animal husbandry, confine grazing activities and end the long-distance movement of cattle that fuels insecurity, banditry and kidnapping.

He further explained that his administration’s resolve to restore lost and encroached grazing reserves, forest reserves and cattle routes is central to reducing conflict and protecting the livelihoods of both farmers and herders. 

With over 80 per cent of Gombe State’s population engaged in crop and animal production, the G;governor said it has become imperative for the government to muster the political will to safeguard lives, property and economic productivity.

Yahaya, who is also the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, expressed confidence that the adoption of modern grazing techniques and the deliberate phasing out of outdated animal rearing practices would provide a new roadmap not only for Gombe State but for Northern Nigeria and the country as a whole.

He charged the committee to strictly adhere to its terms of reference, which include implementing the findings and recommendations of the Assessment Committee as approved in the White Paper, overseeing the systematic restoration, protection and sustainable management of grazing reserves, forest and game reserves, and cattle routes, and ensuring that due process and the rule of law guide all actions to promote mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.

In his response, the Chairman of the White Paper Implementation Committee, AIG Babaji Sunday, expressed appreciation to the governor for the confidence reposed in the committee members. 

He described their appointment as both an honour and a responsibility, assuring the governor that they would work assiduously, deploy modern technologies and align with best security practices to faithfully deliver on its mandate.

The committee is expected to engage relevant stakeholders and roll out practical strategies for the seamless and effective implementation of the White Paper policies, in line with the state government’s commitment to security, food sufficiency and sustainable development.