Fulani groups demand 30% agric budget for livestock
Pastoralist associations want the livestock ministry funded and 417 grazing reserves gazetted to end farmer-herder conflict.
Fulani pastoralist groups on Sunday in Abuja rejected being labelled bandits and demanded President Bola Tinubu initiate a national dialogue on farmer-herder conflicts. The Confederation of Pastoralist Non-Governmental Organisations CONPA, representing millions of pastoralists across Nigeria, stated that hundreds of their members have been killed in recent months in coordinated attacks. They called for an end to ethnic profiling and for criminals to be arrested and prosecuted as individuals.
The groups reported that women, children, and the elderly were among hundreds killed in Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states, with thousands of cattle lost and settlements burned. They asked the Federal Government to direct NEMA and NCFRMI to provide relief to displaced pastoralists and ensure their protection as Nigerian citizens. The coalition commended the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development but noted it remains unfunded.
CONPA appealed for the livestock ministry to receive at least 30 per cent of the agricultural budget and for the immediate gazetting and protection of 417 grazing reserves. They also requested pilot ranches and fodder production across the six geo-political zones, citing the livestock sector as a 30 trillion naira economy that should not be treated lightly.
Why it mattersFulani pastoralist groups are affected by killings and displacement due to farmer-herder conflicts and seek government intervention.