Reserves as solution to pastoralist/farmer clashes

The census also established the distribution and abundance of traditionally managed livestock and their production parameters. The financing and supervision of the livestock census was undertaken under the World Bank-assisted, Second Livestock Development Project (SLDP) which was implemented by the “defunct”, National Livestock Project Division (NLPD) of the Federal Department of Livestock and Pest Control […]

The census also established the distribution and abundance of traditionally managed livestock and their production parameters. The financing and supervision of the livestock census was undertaken under the World Bank-assisted, Second Livestock Development Project (SLDP) which was implemented by the “defunct”, National Livestock Project Division (NLPD) of the Federal Department of Livestock and Pest Control Services, based in Kaduna.
The outcome of the livestock census showed that there were an estimated 14 million cattle, 34 million goats, 22 million sheep and over 100 million poultry in the country. Cattle represent the most economically significant group contributing substantially to the nation agricultural GDP. In addition the survey also established four distinct livestock production systems each with its own potential and set economic and technical constraints. The production system that is relevant to these discos is the transhumance pastoralist. It is the production system that is associated with the seasonal movement of cattle by pastoralists from the North to the South in the dry season and from the South to the North in the wet season. This annual migration by mainly Fulani takes two forms in the dry season. In one the movement is localized, the herds go short distances in to neighbouring river valleys were grass and water can be found. The other form which applies to most transhumance pastoralists consists of a journey   covering hundreds of kilometres in search of water and food.
Research by former International livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) and corroborated by the livestock census mentioned above has revealed that about 90% of the cattle population in Nigeria, currently estimated at 19.5million heads or 17.55 million heads are controlled by the transhumance pastoralists that are currently engaged in this seasonal movement. Conservatively put, the current value of these livestock is estimated at 2.632trillion naira (using an average live price of N150,000) that is more than 50% of Nigeria’s annual budget. The annual off take (10%), from the pastoral herd i.e. the contribution of pastoralists to the national economy is estimated at N263.2billion naira. Meanwhile about 50% of the 9,652,500 cows in the pastoral herd produce an estimated 535,713 tons of milk annually valued at about N34 billion. Thus, the estimated total contribution of pastoralists to the Nigerian economy on annual basis is about N300 billion. These does not take in to account other economic benefits associated  with cattle trading like transportation, slaughter, and processing of derived products which provide huge employment opportunities for people. These contributions by the pastoralists comes with very little support from the government compared with what has been given to various tree crop farmers in the favoured  part of the country and whose contribution to the agricultural GDP is far below that of the livestock industry!
In view of this, no country should ignore these huge contributions to its economy. Any disruption to this economic activity would reflect in form of increase in unemployment with serious social consequences. It is imperative, therefore that a viable solution be found to put a stop or reduce to the barest minimum the unfortunate perennial clashes associated with transhumance pastoralism, which has recently been exacerbated by opportunistic politicians.
 Experience over the years has shown that farmer/pastoralist clashes were more frequent at the end of the wet season/early dry season when farm products are harvested and dried prior to evacuation. In 1964, the Northern Nigerian Government enacted the Grazing Reserves Law which thought to identify, develop and protect chunks of land for use as grazing reserves and as incentive for pastoralist to settle. Later identification, development and protection of stock routes with additional livestock service centres were added to this policy. The overall objective of grazing Reserve Development is the protectionof grazing lands from crop farming provide easier access to them by pastoralist and also encourage sedenterisation of transhumant pastoralists through legally secure title for grazing land thereby promoting livestock development. The reserves were also aimed at improving pasture, herd management, providing social welfare amenities to pastoralists thereby increasing herd productivity and eventually national income. Currently, there are 415 grazing reserves covering an area of 4.3 million hectares. In addition, 12,438 km of stock routes have been identified, surveyed and demarcated throughout the country.
Under the closed World Bank Assisted Service Livestock Development Project, Grazing Reserve Development saw an accelerated development. The project, through the NLPD identified 12 grazing reserves and assisted the states to gazette them and put infrastructure, mainly water supply, fire breaks, access roads and some livestock service centres in about, ten. However, the number of pastoralists that settled inside the grazing reserves fell short of expectation. Most prefer to utilize the reserves and then move out. Thus the grazing reserves were actually used as resting points by transhumance pastoralists. Since land identification, development, and protection by law is the so far the only known tested vehicle that accommodates the life style of our pastoralists the problem that bedevil this activity should be addressed in order to strengthen the contribution of the pastoralist to the economy of the Nation and minimize conflict with crop farmers. These problems included among others encroachment of gazetted grazing reserves because of mainly increase in population with the attendant demand for land for arable crop farming. The issue of rights to land for pastoralists also need to be addressed. Last but not the list is for government at various levels to take the issue of the pastoralists that provide us with most of the protein that is necessary for healthy growth and development seriously.
There is need to review the policy on grazing reserve development to align it with the realities of the moment.
The sub- humid zone where pastoralists relocate in the dry season is no longer sparsely populated and is heavily cultivated of recent. Thus, grazing reserves cannot be sited in populated regions without dislocation of indigenous population and consequent ill-will. Therefore reserves should be sited in areas not suitable for crop farming, but can, with little improvement support livestock. These areas can be easily identified using satellite imagery. Pastoralists who are primarily livestock rearers do plant small plots of cereals to supplement the household food supply. Such marginal land fallow is widely available and some agronomic benefits may accrue from manure which is readily available in areas were livestock graze.
In addition to the review of the policy on location of grazing reserves the institutional arrangements and linkages for the development and management of the reserve and livestock routs have to be reviewed. Agriculture is on the concurrent list of the constitution. Thus federal, state, and local governments, all have responsibility. The Land Use Act of 1977/1978 has vested all land in each state in the governor of that state that holds the land in trust for the people. Local government could also grant land for agriculture or grazing purpose that should not exceed 500 or 5000hectares respectively without consent of the state governor. Thus, the governor could grant land for those purposes that may exceed the size mentioned above.

Consequently, collaboration between the Federal Government who should provide the necessary leadership and the resources for conducting or updating satellite imagery of the country and the state for ensuring that marginal lands so identified should be provided with the necessary infrastructures for livestock is very necessary. Hither to, it was the Federal Government alone through its various agencies that provide the infrastructure in side grazing reserves. The states only gazette the reserves with technical support from the Federal Government. Land titles should also be issued to pastoralists and they must understand that utilizing grazing reserves year in year out is not synonymous with ownership. In the long term, pastoralists must understand that roaming about with large numbers of livestock is not sustainable in a nation whose population is increasing exponentially with the attendant pressure on the supply of food. Thus, livestock owners, especially pastoralists, should be encouraged to obtain titles to land, and adopt agronomic practices that would eventually lead to sedenterisation.
In conclusion, federal, state and local governments have roles to play in ensuring that pastoralists that contribute immensely to the economy of the country are provided with the necessary support to continue to do so. Grazing Reserves Management committees whose membership  comprise of the State and  Local Government staff including the local community leaders should be revived and strengthen to provide the necessary vehicle for the resolution of conflict which arise mainly as a result of encroachment in to legally designated reserves. To outlaw transhumance in Nigeria as is being advocated recently is like saying that a lifestyle that has existed for thousands of years can be erased by fiat. If Nigeria were to import all the food including meat and dairy products that are produced locally the income from oil cannot pay for these on an annual basis. The government should therefore do all what is necessary to ensure self-sufficiency in food production. This is what food security is all about. Any nation that cannot feed itself is susceptible to manipulation and blackmail.
Dr Yahuza, a veterinarian, can be reached at [email protected]