In the last ten years, the issue of herders-farmers conflict has been a dominant challenge between pastoralists and locals, particularly in the Middle Belt, with recurring conflicts that have left thousands dead, maimed, or injured.
Recall, the Federal Government launched a 10-year National Livestock Transformation Plan in 2019 to reduce cattle movement and increase livestock production.
However, lack of leadership, delays, funding uncertainties, and a lack of expertise derailed the project, and the COVID-19 pandemic has hampered stakeholders from finding a viable solution the frequent clashes.
Addressing newsmen on Saturday, Jega who is the chairman of a committee set up last month by the Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, called for the support of Nigerians to find a lasting sustainable solution to the perennial conflict.
The search for a workable blueprint by the committee would take place at a two-day national conference themed, “Sustainable Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria: Farmers/Headers Clashes” and slated to hold from February 13.
According to Jega, 500 notable participants comprising government officials, people from academia, traditional rulers, farmers, herders including members of the Miyetti Allah and researchers on livestock drawn across the country were invited.
He said, “The primary objective of the conference is to bring together a range of stakeholders for cross fertilisation of ideas with regards to how to reform the livestock sector in this country for significant value and to ensure that such reforms are sustainable.
“It is very important that we find permanent solutions in terms of mitigating those conflicts, and indeed, having sustainable ways of developing the livestock sector by actually preventing, if not totally eliminated, such conflicts.
“We have chosen the best of the best of resource persons to make presentations during the conference. Some are professors, entrepreneurs, corporate persons associated with livestock business and key participants in the livestock value chain.
“While sounding modest, I think we can say this is perhaps the best of an array of stakeholders in an inclusive process to address a national problem. And there is no doubt that given the competence and calibres and the capacity of the people we are putting together for this conference, the deliberations are going to be very rich and impactful in terms of producing a blueprint to address this problem on a sustainable basis.”
Jega would be assisted at the conference by the former Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda; National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Baba-Uthman Ingelyarma; Managing Director of Guardian Newspaper, Martins Oloja, and 23 other personalities.