The Federal Government has solicited for the support of international communities, development partners and Nigeria’s allies in addressing farmer-herder conflict and the shrinking lakes in the Africa region.
The government stated that the consequence of Lake Chad drying up was the increased unrest in the region occasioned by competition for scarce resources among fishermen, farmers and herders.
Mohammad Abubakar, minister of agriculture and rural development, made this plea in Abuja on Monday, during the regional summit on ‘human and climate security challenges and farmer herder conflict resolution in the livestock sector’.
According to Abubakar, the north-eastern region of Nigeria is witnessing the negative impact of the depletion of water in the “Oasis in the desert” Lake Chad on the livelihood of over 45 million people living in the Basin, including crop farmers, fishermen and particularly livestock farmers and other people living around the lake as they depend on it for their economic well-being and sustenance.
“Our desire as a nation is for the restoration of the lake in the sub-region to its former glory by recharging it and also preventing further shrinkage. This is evident in our various appeals to the international communities, development partners and other allies of Nigeria and Africa for assistance.
“Some of the consequences of Lake Chad drying up are the increased unrest in the region, competition for scarce resources among fishermen, farmers and herders. This unfortunate situation has been exacerbated by the terrorist activities of Boko Haram, banditry and kidnapping for ransom which has now extended to other parts of Nigeria and neighbouring countries.’’
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He attributed the surge in the age-long conflict to the complex interaction between the changing nature of the availability and access to natural resources (land and water) in the region as a result of the effects of climate change.
Other factors, according to him, include the rapidly rising population of humans and livestock, diminishing arable and grazing lands, industrialisation, negative political influence, and undermining of age-long but proven traditional approaches to managing conflicts.
“Natural resources are under increasing stress due to climate change, leading to fierce competition and violent conflicts over their use.
“While climate change was not a precursor to the migration of herders to the southern and north-central of Nigeria, it has increased their migration from areas with a high frequency of drought and lower availability of natural resources to the southern forest zone with better resources for their livestock,’’ he said.
Speaking slso, the Kebbi State governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu noted that the movement of livestock in and out of the country was a challenge that must be addressed.
“The movement of livestock across the country has become a challenge that must be addressed. This challenge will be easy to understand when linked to climatic issues. The lakes supporting animal husbandry are drying up.
“We need to figure out how to support the economic groups affected by climate change, even our farmers affected by conflict.”
The governor stressed the need to attract more private sector investments to drive the needed development in the sector.
Hakeem Ayinde Ajeigbe of the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Kano, said weak inter-sectoral coordination of communal pasture, lack of grazing lands, water, fodder and farming land have increased tension among famers and herders. For him, the nation’s capacity to respond to increasing demand for livestock and livestock product is constrained by poor nutrition (also quantity rather quality) and seasonal variation in pasture resources and a weak animal feed industry
“Poor productivity is also linked to limited investments by farmers on feed, fodder, and other inputs, low expected returns from undeveloped markets and poor market integration.
