The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, says stakeholder engagement will resolve the protracted farmer/herder’s conflict in Nigeria.
He gave the suggestion at the AB Dikko memorial symposium held on Saturday in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State.
Malami noted that the challenge required real-time and practically-oriented solutions.
“The better approach towards resolving the crisis over the short, medium and long terms is to directly involve the stakeholders in the
coming up with solutions at the conception, implementation and monitoring faces,” he said.
He added that community-oriented approach would yield greater dividend “in diffusing and eventually eliminating the menace that has retarded economic development and created wide-spread insecurity”.
The AGF advocated regulated grazing reserves to replace the “Burtali” or “Hurumi” pastoral system and intensive enlightenment to livestock breeders on the need for sedentary farming.
He further called for provision of water holes in remote grazing locations, subsidized veterinary care and mobile ambulatory services for surgeries and other medical interventions for livestock.
Malami opined that social amenities, educational facilities and cattle markets at central locations would boost nomadic settlements.
“We need to educate communities on the need for peaceful co-existence and community engagement fora for bridge-building in community relations are of utmost importance”, he added.
