The speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, says climate change contributes to worsening the farmer-herder clashes in the country.
He said this at a stakeholders’ forum on addressing the impact of climate change on farmer-herder clashes in Nigeria organised by the office of the deputy chairman, House Committee on Environment on Wednesday, August 28.
The event premiered the documentary, “Behind the Valley”, which is a story of climate change and farmer-herder conflicts in Benue State.
The speaker said as part of efforts to address the challenge, there is a need to get rid of outdated herding and farming methods and adopt global trends in farming amidst climate change.
He also said the Land Use Act puts limitations on how much the Federal Government and the National Assembly can go to make the changes required to address the situation.
The Speaker was represented by the Member representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency of Benue State, Hon Dickson Takighir.
He said the timing could not have been at a better period in efforts at halting the farmer-herder clashes.
“Climate change is a topic that has commanded huge global attention for its many effects on life here on earth. Farmer-herder clashes have had a similar troubling prominence in our country. The one has exacerbated the challenges of the other.
“As someone from one of the hotspots (Kaduna) of the Farmer-Herder clashes, I am not new to the subject. Indeed, it is true that, in many parts of the country, farming communities have been deserted with terrible repercussions on food security.
“Climate change has worsened the Farmer-Herder challenges. Farmers and herders alike, now compete for fewer resources from which to draw crops and fodder. Distortions in rainfall patterns being the result of climate change, have led to desertification. In search of greener pastures, herders have continued to migrate into farming communities. Given the trend, without regulation, there’s bound to be clashes and crisis…..indeed, we are already there.”
He regretted that a plethora of efforts by the Federal and State governments aimed at addressing the problem had achieved little success.
Abbas said recently, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, created the livestock Ministry to have a federally coordinated approach towards animal husbandry.
This, he said, is the first of many vital steps towards uniformly addressing animal husbandry standards nationwide.
“What do we do and where do we go from here? Firstly, we must be ready to rid ourselves of outdated herding and farming methods!
“Of the countries in the world that are top of the charts in the cattle business, many of them equally hold similar top positions on a variety of farm crops as well. These nations hold ready templates for us on how best to engage and excel in these businesses without the sort of crisis we routinely have on our hands here.
“Statistics suggest that ranching has become the way to go. The numbers in cattle and in the profits from countries that ranch cattle, make questionable, our continued romance with nomadic husbandry of cattle.
“However, the transition from nomadic herding to ranching, poses challenges in cultural attachment, ignorance, a lack of capital, lack of political will, lack of national legislation etc. There is, therefore, a need to chart a nationally acceptable direction towards international best practices in the cattle industry.
“Similarly, global trends in farming amidst climate change will have to be adopted. This requires a transition that has similar challenges as above. But we must all commit to legislation and purpose; resources and political will, to see to this transition.
“The Land Use Act puts limitations on how much the Federal Government and for that matter, the National Assembly, can go to making these changes. With State Governors holding the aces on land use, the need for collaboration between States and the Federal Government in the face of a crisis worsened by climate change is strongly advised.
“We must engage in smart Agriculture, across the board. The numbers from other countries compel us to rid ourselves of cultural practices that must now evolve.
“Without doubt, the status quo is outdated and a way forward is urgently needed. We must commit to stakeholder interaction including sharing (on this subject) of educational material such as those by today’s event, to further make more persuasive, the case for the transition that must happen in our Agricultural practices,” he said.
The deputy chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Hon Terseer Ugbor, called for collaborative efforts to address the challenge.
He said: “In the heart of West Africa, a relentless transformation is unfolding, driven by the invisible hand of climate change. Across the Sahel region, the once verdant pastures that sustained nomadic herders for centuries are succumbing to the encroaching desert, their vitality sapped by rising temperatures and erratic rainfall. This ecological upheaval has set in motion a wave of migration, as herders are compelled to venture southward in search of sustenance for their livestock.
“The ripple effects of this forced displacement have been felt acutely in North Central Nigeria, particularly in the Benue Valley. This has ignited a cycle of violence with farmers bearing the brunt of the conflict, leading to the deaths and displacements of thousands of people.
“According to the International Crisis Group, between 2013 and 2022, there were over 1,800 deaths and 2.5 million people displaced from their homes due to clashes between herders and farmers in Nigeria.
“In proffering solutions to this humanitarian crisis, we have designed this initiative to address the problem of affordable green housing for displaced persons, restoration of degraded farming and grazing lands, training and capacity building, resource and water management, renewable energy integration, and peace building through dialogue and mediation.
“I therefore invite you to collaborate, partner, support and donate to this climate mitigation and adaptation initiative for the present and future stability of Nigeria and the peaceful coexistence of our peoples.”
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, in his keynote address said the world has awakened to the rude reality of the grave impact of climate change on humanity.
He said the physical changes that have occurred in the composition of the global atmosphere is now obvious and accepted by all to be due to climate change orchestrated by human activities in the last 100 years.
Represented by his Senior Special Assistant, Technical, Prof Bolaji Babatunde, he said the recent acceptance of this threat to human existence by world leaders is a signal that global development and protection policies should be framed around climate change.
This, he said, is because climate change is the major factor undermining the achievement of the SDGs’ sustainable development goals and a direct threat to the world’s efforts at reducing extreme poverty.
He pointed out that research had shown that desert encroachment is no longer a myth.
“There are visible dunes in the borders of Nigeria. This act orchestrated by climate change stressors has led to the destruction of more than 200 villages with the villagers completely displaced,” he said.
This among others, he said, is directly linked to climate change which is shrinking Nigeria’s landmass and dwindling natural resources.
He said this may directly be the underlying factor causing conflicts in the country among communities competing for greener and safer locations all over.
He expressed confidence that collective efforts will result in finding a permanent solution to resolving the farmer-herder conflict.
The minister of state for the environment, Dr Ishaq Salako, said cooperation between the legislature and the executive arm of government is fundamental to addressing the challenge.
He said the solution to the problem should be multifaceted and collaborated.
The minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, said the effects of climate change are far-reaching.
The minister, who was represented by a Director, Engr Ngozi Agbowo, called for more proactive measures to be put in place to address the situation.
