Jega Gets Fresh Appointment As Ganduje Reveals Why It’s Difficult To End Herder-Farmer Clashes

Attahiru Jega, the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflict in Nigeria.

The 27-member Committee was inaugurated in Abuja on Thursday, according to WITHIN NIGERIA.

Dahiru Amin, Muhammad Yahaya Kuta, Martins -Oloja, Bashir Haruna Usman, M. D. Abubakar, Kabiru Ibrahim, and Rabe Mani are also members of the committee.

Aminu Daneji, Isma’ila Zango, Bello Kaoje, Winnie Solarin, Musa Nuhu, and Isa Yuguda are also on the committee.

Speaking at the inauguration, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje revealed that efforts to end herder-farmer conflicts in the country were being thwarted by “political opposition.”

Other barriers to ending the crisis, according to the governor, are “inadequate political leadership, funding uncertainties, lack of expertise,” insecurity, misconception, COVID-19, and the 1993 ECOWAS protocol.

Ganduje said:

I am sure that some of you will recall that Nigeria’s latest plan for curbing herder-farmer conflicts is facing obstacles, particularly political opposition.

You will also remember that in 2019, the Federal Government launched a 10-year National Livestock Transformation Plan to curtail the movement of cattle, boost livestock production and control the country’s deadly herder-farmer conflicts.

But inadequate political leadership, delays, funding uncertainties and lack of expertise derail the project, while the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the challenges.

That plan represents Nigeria’s most comprehensive strategy yet to encourage pastoralists to switch to ranching and other sedentary livestock production systems.

It is a fact that modernising the livestock sector is key to resolving herder-farmer conflicts, which threatens Nigeria’s political stability and food security.

He said:

In several states, especially in the North, there are duly gazetted grazing reserves, a majority of which are degraded and are without pasture or water, especially in the dry season.

Also, about 13 states agreed to allocate 5,000 hectares of land for ranching or livestock production.

The move by the Federal Government to establish the Ruga Settlement-which was received out of misconception with a mass of criticisms, resulted in the suspension of the project in which contracts had already been awarded.