The Minister of livestock development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, has said the federal government is to resuscitate grazing reserves across Nigeria and has commenced the digitization and mapping of grazing routes across the country to address the farmer-herders conflicts in Nigeria.
One of such efforts, the Minister said, is the resuscitation and the recent commissioning of the Wase grazing reserve in Plateau state to serve as a model to settle pastoralists to herd their animals and get involved in enterprises like crop and food production.
Maiha made this known on Tuesday during the 5th international conference on drylands organised by the Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), Bayero University, Kano with the theme, “Promoting Sustainability and Resilience of Rangelands: Present and Future Outlooks.”
Represented by his special assistant, Mr. Eustace Iyayi, the minister also hinted of the ministry’s plans of improving animal breeds and increasing meat production through natural mating, artificial insemination and embryo transfer, emphasising on raising healthy animals to boost meat export at the reserves.
He also said the ministry will collaborate with the ministry of water resources to resuscitate dams at the various reserves to solve the issue of water, noting that pastoralists move due to two main factors including food and water.
In his keynote address, professor of Anthropology and rangeland expert, John Morton, highlighted that many young people from pastoralist backgrounds are either moving away from it to towns, engaging in other rural occupations or Illegal or criminal activities, as such the government needs to make pastoralism a formal profession.
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He explained that by formalizing its economic functions and providing them with digital tools, it will go a long way in encouraging them to stay in it.
In his remarks, CDA’s director, prof. Jibrin M. Jibrin, pointed out that the goal of the conference was to create a forum to bring experts and people with experience to address dryland issues such as actors driving degradation, conflict and facilitate the sharing of ideas and experiences with solutions to guide policy makers, government and researchers.
He said the outcomes would help to improve understanding, identify implementation priorities and promote a multi-dimensional and multi-stakeholder approach to address the issue.
