Saturday, May 28, 2016

CAN POSITION ON GRAZING BILL

MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND SERVICES: INCESSANT CLASHES BETWEEN PASTORALISTS, FARMERS AND FARMING COMMUNITIES ON 26TH AND WEDNESDAY 27TH OF APRIL 2016
AND
MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED TO THE SENATE JOINT COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURAL/RURAL DEVELOPMENT, SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE: ON INCESSANT CLASHES BETWEEN PASTORALISTS, FARMERS AND FARMING COMMUNITIES ON 10TH MAY 2016.
REPORT BY BISHOP PROFESSOR FUNMILAYO ADESANYA-DAVIES

OUTLINE:
– CAN has rejected the idea of a national grazing bill for Fulani herdsmen.
– The group suggests that Fulani herdsmen should be given Sambisa forest.
– It accused the federal government of trying to Islamise Nigeria.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

RANCHES, GRAZING RESERVES AND (FULANI) PASTORALISM IN NIGERIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE BY BABALOBI, OLUTAYO OLAJIDE

"Gefu (1988) noted that all projects embarked upon after World War II was state-sponsored, with foreign agencies contributing part of the capital. Enclosed systems represent a powerful ideology, and the history of colonial and post-colonial development and command economies is littered with failed attempts to introduce them throughout both the dry tropics and the temperate grasslands of Eurasia. In Nigeria, such systems have had a long and unsuccessful history dating back to the early colonial era (e.g. Dunbar, 1970);

Should (and can) the Nigerian governments afford to venture into such abortive Ranching option in this economic depression era? No. Ranching should be a private initiative and responsibility of private commercial livestock farmers of all tribes"

 ===========================================================
 
RANCHES, GRAZING RESERVES AND (FULANI) PASTORALISM IN NIGERIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

BY

BABALOBI, OLUTAYO OLAJIDE (DVM, MPVM, PHD; FCVSN),                          LECTURER, RESEARCHER AND CONSULTANT EPIZOOTIOLOGIST,   DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE,  FACULTY OF VETERINARY  MEDICINE,  UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN,   IBADAN, NIGERIA      May 2016

THE NATURE AND STATE OF PASTORALISM IN NIGERIA 

Pastoralism is a form of livestock Production economy consisting on primary reliance on the production of domestic animals (cattle, sheep and goat) for at least 50% of a family’s subsistence (Frantz 1980, Salmon 1980). Pastoralists are a group of people for whom pastoral activities (herding and care of animals) account for more than 70% of working time and provide more than 50% of total family.  Apart from being an economic activity, it also has important socioeconomic, sociocultural and political significance.

The socioeconomic importance is due to its provision of employment, food and income for pastoralists and their household (wives, children and dependents). The sociocultural importance is embodied in at least two cultural values central to the identity of the (Fulbe) pastoralist. These values are “Pulaaku” (essence of being Fulbe) and “nai” (cattle) (see VerEecke 1991). The political influence is found in the nomadic Fulani’s penchant to align with and influence local authorities, while attempting to dominate local ethnic land owing crop farmers. The prize is unhindered access to grazing land

This penchant is the reason for the Fulani pastoral support for Othman Dan Fodio in his 19th century Jihad in Northern Nigeria (SLDP 1985). It is also responsible for the annual recurrent clashes between crop farmers and cattle rearers for land, previously only in the north and middle belt zones of Nigeria, but now also in the southwestern and southeastern zones.

In West Africa, the FulÂșe cattle nomads in the Sahelian region began a jihad in 1804, conquering the seven original Hausa kingdoms of today's northern Nigeria and pushing eastwards to today's northern Cameroon. They settled as rulers of the kingdoms they conquered, dispensed with their cattle and, in most cases, switched to the language of the peoples of their empire. Meanwhile, their "brothers", who still herded cattle, migrated still further into Central Africa, impelled onwards by ever-increasing arable expansion (FAO 2011).

There are at least six major groups of pastoralists in Nigeria (Awogbade 1988, Falobi 1998) as follows