As the harvest season draws near, Abdullahi Ali Maibiredi, the chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kano State branch, has voiced concerns about the potential intensification of conflicts between farmers and herders. In an interview with a newspaper, Maibiredi stated that the issue had been going on for years and had occasionally led to conflicts, property damage, and fatalities.
He claimed that despite the conflict’s effects on agricultural and farmers’ lives, officials had yet to come up with a long-term solution.
Maibiredi stated, “I personally lost about 85% of my crops last year, but I did not see the necessary action taken to address the problem.”
In order to restore peace and confidence between farmers and herders, he urged the appropriate authorities to step in and find long-term solutions to the issue.
He stated, “We are urging the relevant authorities to step in and deal with this issue before it gets worse, especially now that the harvest season is approaching.”
In response to the worries, retired Captain Abdullahi Bakoji, the Kano State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), stated that the organization has previously sent a warning to its members.
The anticipated return of transhumant herders from Niger to Kano before farmers had finished harvesting their crops was another difficulty this year, Bakoji told Newspaper.
Herders who migrated to other regions in the past, especially from Niger, typically returned to Kano following the harvest. However, they are anticipated to return this year when harvesting is still in progress, according to Bakoji.
He blamed Niger’s water scarcity for the early return and said that the situation would make conflicts between farmers and herders more likely.
“We have already sent reports and recommendations to security agencies and the state governments of Kano and Jigawa so that preventive measures can be taken before the problem arises,” he stated.
Bakoji further noted that some of the elements causing the conflict included the closure or unauthorised occupation of cattle routes, grazing sites, and animal resting places.
The illegal closure or occupation of some cattle routes, grazing grounds, and livestock rest areas is one of the main causes of the issue. As a result, we are urging the government to investigate the issue immediately,” he stated.
In order to solve the issue, he continued, MACBAN was prepared to interact with pertinent parties.
In certain places of Nigeria, conflicts between farmers and herders have lasted for years, occasionally leading to fatalities and property damage.
But in recent years, Kano’s position has somewhat improved.