From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project has pledged to work with the Zamfara State government to mitigate the recurrent cases of conflicts between farmers and herders in the region.
The Cordinator of the project Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, disclosed this while receiving the Zamfara State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Kabiru Moyi Birnin Magaji in his office
He explained that Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project, will in few days time ,award contract for the survey, demarcation, gazettement and monumentation of stock routes across the state.
He noted that presently, Kano State has 1,450 km of major stock routes and 500 km of minor stock routes many of which have been blocked by farms or infrastructure, forcing herdsmen to traverse through farms to reach water or grazing areas, leading to violent clashes with farmers.
He added that “There is a need to integrate the traditional stock routes used by herdsmen and grazing areas in the Action Plans and interventions by governments and development partners, as part of moves to ensure lasting peace in the country”.
Other interventions initiated by the KSADP to consolidate the Stock route issue is the development of Dansoshiya grazing reserve, an on-going project, which is a model in Nigeria for settling herdsmen in one location, to enhance peace, socialisation and economic growth in addition to addressing rural-urban drift, he stated
He assured that KSADP will support the government of Zamfara State towards developing agro-pastoral systems especially interventions aimed at addressing incessant farmers-herdsmen conflict.
The Zamfara State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Kabiru Moyi Birnin Magaji said he visited the project office to know more about the KSADP, to be able develop a concept note for possible implementation of a similar project by his state government.
“We are determined to emulate Kano to address the challenges facing our state so when we start a similar initiative, we will request the cooperation of the Project Management Unit of KSADP.”