Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state of Kano state on Saturday, inaugurated the State Stock Routes Committee, as part of the conflict mitigation strategy of the Kano State AgroPastoral Development Project, KSADP.
Speaking during an occasion held in the state capital, Governor Ganduje said the move became necessary, to forestall crisis which occur between farmers and herdsmen due to blocking of stock routes, damage to crops and resource use.
The governor said owing to population growth, many of the stock routes in the state are being encroached mainly by farmers, forcing the herdsmen to make detours, through farmlands, to grazing resources, which often resulted in farmers-herdsmen clashes.
Such conflicts frequently escalate to disruption of economic activities, loss of property and even loss of lives.
“Against this background, we saw the critical need to look at the farmers-herdsmen issue objectively, with a view of finding a lasting solution to the problem “.
“Consequently, as part of long term efforts to ensure sustainable peace and promote socio-economic activities, our administration, through the Kano Agro Pastoral Development Project, has mapped out strategies to implement several activities aimed at addressing the problems of stock routes, grazing reserves and other developmental initiatives especially for our herdsmen and farmers”.
“Such interventions will significantly reduce conflicts between farmers and herdsmen, enhance pastoralism, control nomadic life style and its repercussions, and bring about socio-economic development of our people”.
He said the state government is committed to planning and implementing strategies to prevent community members from encroaching on stock routes based on the conviction that un-intruded stock routes are basis for peace.
The 19-member stock routes committee, is mandated to supervise the activities of Local Government Area (LGA) stock route committees to implement its activities smoothly and to mobilize relevant stakeholders (farmers, pastoralists’ security agencies, etc) on the activities of the local Government Committees.
It is also to assist the KSADP and consultants on how to achieve their improvement plans in the identified stock routes in various local government areas and to help in stressing the importance of community participation in stock route development in the state.
The committee is also to participate in providing security support and conflict mitigation in all the stock routes in the state.
Meanwhile, the governor inaugurated five new vehicles for the Kano State Agro Pastoral Project, which help in ensuring coordination of the project activities across all parts of the state.
Ameen K. Yassar
Project Communication Specialist
17th October, 2020
