Tackling Spiraling Herders-Farmers’ Conflict in Katsina

The adoption of ranching system by the Katsina State government would tackle prevailing herders-farmers skirmishes and banditry in the state, writes Francis Sardauna

Farmers-herders conflicts is perhaps one of the key security challenges bedeviling Nigeria. This has escalated and transformed to many aspect of crimes which are being orchestrated in form of cattle rustling, armed banditry and kidnapping, thereby heightening tension or apprehension in the country.

This age-long conflict in Nigeria is mainly associated with quarrels over land resources mostly between herders and predominant rural farmers across the nation. Factors that causes the incessant herders-farmers clashes are encroachment into grazing routes and reserves, ignorance about the grazing routes and laws, illiteracy, water scarcity, and desertification,

Climate change, population explosion and growth of new settlements are other veritable sources and causal factors of most of these conflicts. Therefore, the significant threat posed by pastoralists-farmers conflicts makes it a critical issue that needs to be tackled immediately and comprehensively.

The violent conflicts between the pastoralists and farmers are widespread with severe consequences ranging from loss of lives, property and disruption of the normal functioning of many states. These conflicts undermine the fabric of the nation’s corporate existence as they exacerbate various fault lines with grave implications.

In order to completely arrest this lingering scuffle to its final resting graveyard in Katsina State, the state government under the watch of Governor Aminu Bello Masari adopted numerous revolving and defensible strategies in the state.

Thus, the governor on assumption of office in 2015, launched war against cattle rustling and herders-farmers’ clashes across farming villages and communities in the state. It was as result of the offensive and proactive fight that the hoodlums sought for dialogue with the state government for peace and development to thrive.

The governor being the peace ambassador, graciously granted the then cattle rustlers amnesty, which paved the way for rapprochement that yielded positive results between 2015 to early 2019. From the inception of the war against cattle rustling by the present administration to 2019, 56,505 cattle, 24,415 sheep and 36,213 goats were recovered during the first amnesty.

Accordingly, the state government in its restoration agenda in agriculture, has since keyed into the federal government’s ranching scheme. The federal government’s scheme known as the Livestock Transformation Plan, which is being implemented in 11 pilot states of Katsina, Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara, will gulp N179 billion.

Other milestone measures taken by the Masari-led government to address or ward off the herders-farmers conflicts includes reconciliation meeting with bandits in Kankara town and peace tour to bandits’ enclaves in 10 Local Government Areas of Batsari, Danmusa, Kankara, Safana, Dutsin-ma, Jibia, Faskari, Sabuwa, Kurfi and Dandume to ascertain their demands for possible remedy.

To further curb the age-long predicament in the state, Governor Masari officially wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari, soliciting for intervention from the National Resources Funds in order to resettle pastoralists and their livestock in safer villages, communities and towns across the state.

Interestingly, President Buhari approved the request of the governor and released the whooping sum of N6.25 billion to the state government for the ranching scheme in the state. This would enable government to rehabilitate existing infrastructures such as schools, dispensaries, dams, veterinary clinics, stock routes and pasture development in Kukar Jangarai Grazing Reserve popularly known as Rugu forest that has 10 ranges across the 10 frontline local governments.

The funds will also assist the state government for the development of pasture, retracing and demarcation of stock routes to streamline the issue of herders migration from one state or station to another. This noble initiative will further tackle clashes between herders and farmers as well as banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and other social vices in the state.

Therefore, the state government resolved to implement the project through its Department of Livestock and Grazing Reserves, where by about 7,000 hectares of grazing land would be utilised out of the 122,000 hectares earmarked for the conflicts-solving project in the state. Thus, 5,000 hectares of land is for pasture development while 2,000 is meant for arable farming and infrastructural development within the ranch.

In view of this, therefore, the state government intends to commence the project in 10 Local Government Areas of Batsari, Jibia, Kurfi, Dutsin-ma, Safana, Danmusa, Kankara, Faskari, Sabuwa and Dandume, which are more vulnerable to security challenges orchestrated by bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers as well as herders-farmers conflicts.

With this development, the state government is expected to provide lands for the production of pastures, infrastructures and identify investors to take up the entire value chain of the project and set up industries for the benefit of the people in the state, thereby creating more employment opportunities for youths.

The livestock development project has ranges 1, 2 and 3 situated in Jibia and Batsari Local Governments, while ranges 4, 5, 6, and 7 are in Dutsin-ma, Kurfi and Safana Local Government. Ranges 8, 9 and 10 are in Danmusa, Kankara, Faskari, Sabuwa and Dandume Local Government Areas respectively.

The state government through the department of livestock, had invited team of experts from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) that assisted in the provision of technical guidance for preparation of business design and project plan that would be of benefit to citizens of the state.

It also sought involvement of private sectors to invest their funds and identify key problems and proffer solutions for the development and sustainability of the ranching project. It is pertinent to note that the 33 earth dams in the ranges would be linked up, milk collection centres would be established while diary scheme would be rehabilitated for commercial activities for improved productivity.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the governor on Livestock and Grazing Reserves, Dr. Lawal Usman Bagiwa, while addressing participants at an stakeholders meeting on ranching in Katsina, said government had concluded arrangements for the commencement of the project in the state.

He said with a design of a 7,000 hectares in the project area for pasture development, other important facilities such as nomadic schools, veterinary clinics, dispensaries, slaughter houses, solar powered boreholes, artificial insemination centre, feeder roads, Mosques and police station would be constructed.

Other value additional infrastructures that would be constructed in the ranch, according to him, includes hatchery, bottle water factory, filling station, milk and meat processing factory and hides and skills would be available in partnership with key private investors.

He explained that the ranching scheme would enable herders and farmers to engage in arable farming within the range for food security and homestead pasture, while recreational facilities, capacity building workshops and empowerment as well as livestock census would be conducted in the proposed ranch areas.

He said the provision of ranching system popularly known as Livestock Transformation Plan in the state will mark the end of herdsmen having to transport their herds mostly by foot and avoid conflict with local farming communities within and outside the state.

He said, “We will also bring in investors that will set up modern centres where cattle breeders can slaughter their animals. When we do that, a lot of other things will come up.

“We are going to change their lifestyle, take them away from the streets and from wandering in the bush and develop districts, hamlets and towns and definitely in few years to come you will not see a nomad moving about, wandering or kidnapping. And this will end all these security challenges”.

According to Bagiwa, “Therefore, I wish to call on everybody to give his cogent contributions on how to have sustainable access to the area for a successful implementation of the programme”.

Apparently, Masari’s justifications for accepting ranching are that it would constrain cattle movement and herders will be settled in an organised locality with basic amenities like schools, hospitals, veterinary clinics, markets and manufacturing entities that will process and add value to meat and animal products.

Thus, Governor Masari needs the unflinching support of all and sundry to make the project realistic and sustainable in Katsina State in order to avert the spiralling herders-farmers’ conflicts bedeviling farming communities across the state.