The Nigeria President, Bola Tinubu, amid a rumoured reform of his inner cabinet, already created the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
This new ministry is an appendage of the total idea which seeks the continuing coexistence of herders and farmers in Nigeria.
Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms, said on Thursday the ministry was part of the elements in the proposal submitted to the president, citing continuation of “ranching and open grazing as the most viable solution to the farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria.”
Farmers and Herders conflict in Nigeria is deadly and has led to the death of many, most of which were Christian farmers. The conflict, logically examined, is beyond a mere farmer-herder war. Many experts and most glaring cases give rise to a religious conflict of superiority between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.
According to data from the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON), a nonprofit which says it is working to secure a future for all Nigerians. Examination of the conflict between January 1, 2000, and January 31, 2020, which amounts to a period of 20 years, a silent genocide has been going on by “Fulani Militants, who have killed nearly 19,000 Nigerians, primarily Christian farmers.”
ICON’s data show that between 2000-2019 alone, there were 17,284 horrendous deaths resulting from Fulani Militant attacks across the country. 13,079 deaths out of which were predominantly Christian states (Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, and Taraba), the report says. This data joins the growing growth of Boko Haram militants who have killed thousands of Nigerians, mostly Christians.
From 2020 to 2024, there have been different displeasing news about herders’ attacks on farmers, most of which often lead to the death of farmers. Addressing these attacks, Jega and his 23-member committee believed “open grazing and ranching would coexist until enough awareness and adequate infrastructure were created for full adoption of ranching.”
Open grazing is the main bone of contention between farmers and herders. Beyond the religious reasons, farmers whose farmlands are grazed by herders don’t often take it lightly. But the complaints are what the herders, who frequently see it as right, don’t like. The continuation of open grazing may lead to more conflicts and more death. Against all odds, Jega has claimed President Tinubu even gave “the committee full support and encouragement to drive the process of the committee’s implementation of the recommendations, with the new ministry driving the process.”
The detailed guidelines provided, “the belief that the recommendations are quite comprehensive, and if we can meticulously implement them, no doubt, very soon we will begin to see its positive impact on our economy. Whether it is in terms of job creation or terms of development of products and services, or even opening up opportunities for exports,” Mr Jega said.
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Enoch Oyedibu
Brazen Investigative Journalist with a deep interest for tracking the grassroots impacts of government procurement.