Fulani leaders under the Confederation of Pastoralists have appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to dedicate 30 per cent of the agricultural budget to the Ministry of Livestock Development and establish pilot ranches in the six geopolitical zones.
They also called for the protection of the country’s 417 grazing reserves to tackle the difficulties confronting pastoralists.
The General Secretary of the Kautal Pulaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria, Abdullahi Ardo, who represented the coalition at an international press conference in Abuja on Sunday, called on the Federal Government to investigate reported killings of pastoralists in Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and other states, provide relief materials for displaced victims and protect them from attacks and ethnic profiling.
President Bola Tinubu created the Ministry of Livestock Development in 2024 to tackle recurring farmer-herder conflicts through ranching, pasture development and better infrastructure.
The ministry is also intended to move Nigeria’s livestock sector from traditional subsistence practices to a modern, commercial and internationally competitive industry.
Speaking on Sunday, Ardo stated, “We commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development – a historic decision that gave us hope after 60 years of agitation. However, years later, the ministry remains largely unfunded and without a clear operational framework.
“We are appealing for the Ministry of Livestock Development to be active at the community level so that it can achieve its set goals.
“We call on the President and the National Assembly to allocate at least 30 per cent of the agricultural budget to the ministry, immediately gazette and protect the 417 grazing reserves, start pilot ranches and fodder production in the six geopolitical zones.”
The leaders described the livestock industry as a N30tn economy that should not be taken lightly.
The Fulani leaders also asked Tinubu to organise a national dialogue to resolve farmer-herder conflicts, which they claimed had resulted in more than 20,000 deaths over the past decade.
They said the proposed dialogue should bring together Miyetti Allah groups, religious leaders, traditional rulers, security agencies and state governments, with justice, compensation and peaceful coexistence as key priorities.
Ardo added, “With deep pain, we report that in the last few months, hundreds of innocent pastoralists have been killed in coordinated attacks in Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and other parts of the country.
“In many of these attacks, women, children and the elderly were killed, thousands of cattle were rustled or killed, and entire Rugas were burnt down.
“These killings are not reported. There is no national outrage. There is no compensation. There is no justice.
“We demand an independent investigation into these mass killings, that the Federal Government direct NEMA and NCFRMI to provide relief materials to displaced pastoralist victims, as it does for other communities, and that security agencies provide protection to pastoralists as Nigerian citizens under Sections 14 and 33 of the 1999 Constitution.”
The Fulani leaders urged federal and state authorities, traditional rulers, farmers’ associations, security agencies and development partners to work together towards sustainable solutions to farmer-herder conflicts.
They advocated equal access to justice, inclusive security and development, and peaceful coexistence, while encouraging Nigerians to prioritise dialogue and cooperation in advancing national development.
