The Presidency has welcomed the recent report of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, specifically the British Government’s new focus on herder-farmer clashes.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, made this known in a statement in Abuja yesterday.
Shehu observed that engagement with various stakeholders was key to the dialogue and, most importantly, trust, to resolve this age-old conflict.
According to the presidential aide, as the report indicates, there are many causes to the conflict, from competition over land to climate change.
“The National Livestock Transformation Plan sets out to deal with these by preventing open grazing of cattle and, consequently, the destruction of crops.
“Enclosed ranching is a core component of the programme. For farmers, this guarantees their yield and livelihoods. For herders, all livestock produce more meat and milk in a ranch rather than being always on the move.
“These plans do not come at one or another’s expense. Instead, they shall make both farmers and herders richer.
“We must learn to live together because there isn’t another way. Our diversity should never be a cause for conflict, but a source of strength from which the nation can draw,’’ he said.