Dryland stakeholders have urged the federal government to restore and protect the health of rangelands, highlighting their importance to safeguarding the livelihoods of pastoralist communities and enhancing the climate resilience in dryland regions.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a three-day international conference on drylands, organized by the Centre for Dryland Agriculture of the Bayero University, Kano, with the theme: “Promoting sustainability and resilience of rangelands: Present and future outlooks”.
The communiqué also stressed the need for governments at all levels to develop and implement comprehensive, participatory, and evidence-based legal framework that prioritizes sustainable rangeland management, while ensuring equitable access to land and natural resources which will promote peaceful coexistence and prevent conflict over land use.
Participants also sought for the recognition and increased investment on women and youths from pastoralist communities to drive resilience and sustainability, through capacity building and their active participation in decision-making processes.
The conference also highlighted the need for both the public and private sector to scale up investments in climate change adaptation strategies, sustainable land management technologies, and diversified livelihood initiatives complemented by demand-driven research that can reduce the vulnerability of dryland populations.
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“Conference participants made it clear that the alarming degradation of rangelands, the increasing threats to pastoralist livelihoods, and the growing fragility of dryland ecosystems demand more than discussion—they demand urgent, collaborative, and sustained action.
“They emphasized that the path to healthy rangelands is also the path to achieving food security, ecological balance, and peaceful coexistence.
“In this regard, the conference underscored the importance of seizing the momentum of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, 2025, as a global platform to mobilize awareness, foster partnerships, and scale up collective efforts to secure a thriving future for rangelands in Nigeria, across Africa, and around the world,” the communiqué noted.
The 5th international conference had in attendance both local and international speakers including scientists, researchers, and policy makers, among others.
