Ruga: How clashes and endless migrations threaten the nomad’s camp

Fulani camps have reduced in number, while persons skilled in building the dwellings are losing their talents. Today, many nomads prefer the dazzling city to simple life in the camp. Daily Trust unveils the forces pushing the pastoralist’s home to the brink, collapsing its numbers and making it less  visible. Anyone who will   rise to […]

Fulani camps have reduced in number, while persons skilled in building the dwellings are losing their talents. Today, many nomads prefer the dazzling city to simple life in the camp. Daily Trust unveils the forces pushing the pastoralist’s home to the brink, collapsing its numbers and making it less  visible.

Anyone who will   rise to do a census of camps in Nigeria may soon come to the conclusion that their numbers have collapsed. Once upon a  time, there was a golden age of pastoral life in Nigeria, and this was a time when the number of camps soared and the herds swelled. Nigeria was one of the best places in West Africa to be a herder, but not many will agree with this view now. Saleh Momale, Ag Executive Director, The Pastoral Resolve says the golden age spanned ‘the 1930s up to the 1970s.’
He was a young boy during  the latter part of this period  “I used to witness large cultural ceremonies, and there was discipline, and  a clear administrative structure of the Fulbe society based on the ruga. During this time there was medicine for the treatment of animal diseases, and diseases were brought under control. Vaccinations were also regularly given and Tsetse flies were controlled. As a result of  this many areas were opened up for the pastoralists, and there was peace everywhere. That was the golden age of pastoral life in Nigeria.” But then ‘things started  to go bad  in the 80s,’ Momale adds. This reversal in the number of camps should concern those  interested in rural architecture, who possess a healthy interest in the nomad. If all their cows are stolen, the value or need for the  ruga or camp diminishes, for the camp is set up to facilitate the herding of cattle, as  well as to serve  as a place for the  nomad to rest and recreate himself. Hassan Ciroma, Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Nasarawa State, whose camp was recently destroyed, comments   “Some of them have no cows, and so they no longer have the need to set up a camp. It  is on account of the cows that the nomads set up a ruga.” 
Momale speaks on the camp “The basis of the ruga is the extended family, and the pastoral extended family is based on the foundation of livestock ownership. The head of the ruga is head of an extended family,and he supports  decision making for the family. He is the one who guides  livestock management practice for the ruga.”
On the drop in the number  of camps   “The extended family system is rapidly collapsing, because of increased migration, increased splitting of family units, decline in livestock numbers, and other man made influences, these are the reasons for the collapse in the number of camps.”

He  argues  “The hegemony of the cow as the centre piece of the ruga is no longer there in many areas. Almost everybody has just a few cows, and many now turn to farming, trading and the commercial motorcycle business.” But the nomads often have occasion to flee, and the abandoned camps seen by this reporter outside Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, seem to confirm this. It was Ardo Lawal Dono who took me to the spots where the abandoned camps are located, and  it was clear that the nomads left the camps in a big hurry. The beds though left in a haste, are still fairly intact with a thin film of dust covering them. Ardo Dono adds that thousands of camps were destroyed in Nasarawa State by the Ombatse militia. Those who  are  skilled in constructing the camps, have relocated to urban centres,  and there are fears that such skills  may vanish soon, as the builders become deskilled as soon as they sink  into the urban  setting. Many aspects of the Fulani heritage have  evaporated or are slowly vanishing, and the camp itself is one of those items that will  transit to something else, so argues Dr. Tukur Baba of the Department of Sociology, Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto “With increasing education, and urbanisation, everybody is beginning to realise that some practices common among the Fulani are harmful. These include sharo,the use of body marks as well as female genital mutilation.”
Jibrin Shuaibu, Secretary, MACBAN in Wamba local government of the state, has a different opinion on the state of the  camps “The numbers are increasing instead of decreasing. In the past you won’t get up to 12,000 nomads in Wamba, but now they number 500,000. This represents  an increase in the camps,and  is  a fallout  of crises. Nomads from other places are trooping to Wamba  to settle.The crises in southern Kaduna and  Benue, for instance, have pushed many of them here.” Ibrahim Hassan, Extension Officer, National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) Gwagwalada, adds that he noticed a decline in the number of the camps in the country,at the  time of the Zangon Kataf crises of 1992.

Yahaya Mogauri, Extension Officer with the NCNE in Kogi State, comments on the  fall in number of camps in the state “99%  of the nomads I met  when I began work here in 1996 have left to other states,or to neighbouring countries, such  as Togo, Ghana  and Burkina Faso. This rapid migration is on account of  ethnic problems,kidnapping, cattle  rustling, climate change, and harassment by security  agents.”
He  adds that the places where those camps used to exist,are just  empty  swathes  of  land today,  and says  that the 99% he referred  to earlier, is made up of ‘3,000 to 5,000 nomads, and represents at least 200 camps which have since left the state.’ Ibrahim Abubakar Jalido, Chairman caretaker committee MACBAN, Kogi   State, also confirms that  many camps have vacated the state for other countries in recent times.
‘They call it Walbe’
But how do the nomads refer to their dwelling? The Fulani don’t use the word  ‘Ruga’ which is a Hausa word. Rather, they utter  ‘Walbe.’ But  the name changes  among the Fulani, owing  to numerous  dialectical differences. Dr. Baba, who is an  expert on the Sociology of Pastoral Society’s,  says “there are a variety of Fulfulde words or terms for Rugga.In the north west, it is known as Hoggo or Hodddore. In the north east it takes the form of Walde or Welbe, while in the north central it is known as Hodhere.”
While agreeing that there has been a marked decline in the number of camps in the country today, Dr. Baba adds “The word ruga is a Hausa word for Fulani encampment, especially those of the nomadic Fulani. Among the Fulbe, there is no single word for ruga, the temporary encampment, because the Fulani pastoral concept of the camp,is different from that of the Hausa.” But what are the reasons which  explain the collapse in the number  of  camps today?
Epic collapse
Occasional conflicts  between the Fulani and some of their neighbours, have collapsed the number of camps. Mohammed Hussaini says that the first Ombatse crises occurred in Nasarawa state in January 2013, and it is an example of the sort of conflict which can erode the camps. According to Hussaini, who is the Nasarawa state Secretary, MACBAN, more than 200 nomads were killed in the attack, while  10,000 cows were lost. He says that 2,000 camps were destroyed during the first attack. The second Ombatse crises started in Fadama Bauna located in Lafia east local government. Over 40,000 nomads were sacked during the violence, 8,000 cows were lost and 2,000 camps were burnt down, Hussaini tells me, bringing the total number of destroyed camps  during the crises to 4,000.

On the declining number of  the camps, he says “First of all the population of camps in Nigeria is reducing. This is due to ethnic clashes and also as a result of the outbreak of diseases  which make the nomads to migrate all of a sudden. When diseases affect our animals, the nomads normally flee from  that place. They then set up a camp at the new destination. But they don’t set up camp again  and  they now live beneath  a tree in the new location. The nomads move, but they won’t set  up a camp again, and there are many of such nomads  who live today with their  families under a tree.”
He comments on forces affecting the  number of camps “Another factor which reduces the population of the camp is climate change. People migrate from north to south as a result of changes in the weather pattern, which sometimes brings excessive rainfall all of a sudden, or spells of dryness, and migration as a result of this, naturally and inevitably affects the camp. When there’s less rain, and no grass for the cows, the nomads move southwards or out of the country.”
He states  “There are fewer camps in northern Nigeria today, and some nomads have moved to Ghana, Togo and Benin. This movement is also as a result of insecurity in northern Nigeria. For  instance, you cannot sleep when you  keep on hearing the sound of guns, and people  will depart  to places of greater security.”
Next,  he draws attention to  a problem usually noticed  “Some of those living in camps don’t even have nomadic schools. The camp may have up to 2,000 persons living in it, but it may not have a nomadic school.” If the camps are destroyed, so much is immediately lost among the nomads, he seems to be saying.
Momale speaks on what is  lost when a camp no longer exists “First of all the foundation of Fulbe discipline and culture is the basis of the ruga.One implication of the loss of the ruga is that this will affect cultural upbringing, and lead to change of values of Fulbe society, with implications  for social behaviour, discipline and enterprise, especially livestock enterprise. Then there is potential reduction in the available number of cows in the country, and this means that Nigeria will depend on the importation of livestock and livestock products. Next, the opportunity for development deriving from livestock products, such as dairy development and veterinary services would be lost or halted. Also, the  heritage  of rural architecture will  vanish  with the disappearance of the camp. UNESCO did some work on Fulani culture some years ago, but nothing  similar to that effort is being done today by any group.”
Burnt down
But let us turn to the field in Nasarawa state, and what do we find in parts of Lafia east, Nasarawa Eggon as well as Wamba local governments? Here are empty burnt out camps with blackened walls, and these stretch as far as the eye can see, with a few sections standing like a physical dirge. Maize  fields have sprung up around the camp. In many places a circle of burnt sticks indicate that a camp once flourished at the spot. Altogether, we visited 30 burnt camps of the nomads. A few nomads gather to narrate their stories. Jabo Ardo, a herder, is telling the story of how he, who used to live in a big camp, now lives beneath  a tree at Bakin Kogi, with his 2 wives and 10 children “In August last year the militia burned my camp down. This   occurred  at 9.00 am. I was not at home, but my whole family ran away when they arrived. Now, we are living beneath a tree at Bakin Kogi.”

While agreeing that the camps are reducing in number in the area, he says that he does not have money to build a new dwelling. This explains why “I now live with my family under a tree.” Kire Ardo also narrates a similar story. He too lives at Bakin Kogi, having been expelled from Lafia East by the militia. He also lives under a tree in the new location, with his 2 wives and 19 children “I didn’t build a new camp, because it is expensive to do so. Besides I lost 26 cows and 42 goats, so my finances are in bad shape.”
Then there are those who construct the camps whom Daily Trust met at Bahyano. They too have a story to tell. Jibrin Ibrahim has been building camps for 11 years . He says that it could take up to 2 months to construct a camp of 4 rooms, and agrees that there are fewer camps today  than they were a little while ago. This is because they have  either been burnt down,or the owners fled. Abdullahi Adamu and Mohammed Ahmed are two other builders who also share the view that the Fulani camps are reducing both in visibility and number.
The world is changing
Architect Idris Isa Bawa,  who has   done research on the architecture of nomadic societies, explains “The camp is changing. It is not as common as it used to be, because of so many factors. Also, those who build the camps are not as numerous as they used to be, and most of the nomads are turning  from the way of life they used to know, owing to urbanisation and modernisation. Among  the younger nomads, it is no longer fashionable to live in a camp,  especially  those  whose  camps were earlier destroyed during  communal clashes. These ones think it is better to start moving into urban centres where they will adopt modern cultures.”
He speaks on the issue of change as a growing cultural force in the world at present “The whole world is changing,and the camp will gradually be transformed  into modern houses in a reserve. Because of the need for constant movement by the  nomads, by the time you don’t move, you  have to build permanent structures. This is what is happening in some parts of the north. Some places in the north used to be camps, but  they have grown into bigger settlements because the need to move no longer exists. For instance, there is the example of Sabon Gari Na Bordo in Toro local government of Bauchi state. In 2001 when there was  ethno-religious crises  in Plateau State, a number of nomads moved there from plateau. If you go  to Sabon Gari Na Bordo now,you will see  houses built with aluminium roofs. It is gradually becoming a town.This example shows that a camp can vanish and become a bigger, new settlement. This actually happens and it is correct  and this is the normal process. On the other hand frequent migrations mean that the camp which hasn’t reached the stage of growing into a large settlement, is also vanishing. For instance, if the herder is left with some herds after a crises, he may decide to go into some remote areas, and live by a tree in a forest, hoping that after a few years, he will recover his cows and start life afresh. But some of them  may forget about the nomadic way of life altogether, to go and settle down in a city or in an urban centre.
 Like Bawa above, Hassan also thinks that the camp is threatened “So many issues negatively affect the camp today in Nigeria. When there is no school around them, they migrate to a place where they can enroll their children in schools. If there is no reserve, the nomads will also migrate, because the available space wont contain them. If they settle in a place, and their animals are increasing and there are farmlands around them which are also being used, then there will be no space  for the animals to graze, and the nomads  will naturally leave.” He  says that many nomads have abandoned their camps because of the effects of rustling,and moved to the city to live a more settled existence.  On those who construct the ruga, who are also key to the survival of the dwelling “The skill of constructing the camp  is collapsing. This is because those who can build the camp are now moving to the city, where they certainly won’t construct the camp.”
‘Many non Fulbe have never seen a camp’
Hassan now shows how violence triggers migration and affects the camp, an example being the post election violence in Kaduna state in 2011 “In southern Kaduna where I come from, when post election violence occured in 2011, a large number of camps totaling 70 households migrated to different locations. Some went to Bauchi, Nasarawa, Abuja and other places.”
But  Hassan has also  noticed a significant change in the camp “The architecture  of the camp has been changing.It used to be a more permanent structure, but on account of constant clashes which have grown over the years, the nomads have resorted to the construction of thatch dwellings which are easier to dismantle.” Dr. Baba also provides reasons for the camps decline “Because of population pressure and the fact of urbanisation the camp is threatened, and so it is decreasing in number, as well as in size. Finally, the camp will disappear, and even today many non Fulbe have never seen a Walbe or camp. At best of times, the camp is temporary. Eventually, it grows into a settlement, just as in Sokoto where there are settlements which began as camps.”
Saving the camp
Bawa recalls  that many nomads are keen on retaining the camp as it is, but with some changes “most of the nomadic Fulani want to preserve the camp, but they desire a modern way of doing the ruga. My research proposed modern materials for the construction of the camp. These items will be lighter in weight, instead of materials like grass which are hard to preserve. I sold the idea to the nomads and the response from them was good. So far,my  idea has not been translated to reality, but I hope it will come to fruition soon.”
He  states “The camp plays a very important role in the life of a nomad,and preserving the camp means preserving pulaaku, and in preserving pulaaku, you are helping the general society, because leaving the nomads to abandon Pulaaku has implications for the larger society itself.” Bawa says “The future of the camp depends on the sustainability of the way of life of the herder.If the Fulani nomad is compelled to abandon that system, then naturally the camp may vanish, but if the nomad is allowed to continue with his way of life,then the camp will be preserved.”
On the way forward, Momale, speaking against a background of the collapse of the extended family system, adds “The smaller family unit emerging today can be nurtured to provide the guidance that the head of the households were providing in the past.”
He points out “The head of the household who used to provide  moral upbringing, training and orientation, is no longer there. Also, the parents are not adequately taking over the role of the head of the camp, and the role of the grandparents, that is the females, who supported the head of the camp, no longer exists. To address the problem is to support the nomads to recognise their new roles in an ever changing environment, and to promote education among the pastoral families.”
Jalido thinks that if the nomads will be helped to reside in grazing reserves, their camps will not only be protected, they will  endure “Grazing reserves should be set up for the nomads. The reserve will have a veterinary clinic, dams, schools, doctors and  ample space for the camps. The camp will  flourish in the reserve, rather than vanish as we see happening  today.”