The Report of the Roundtable Session On

THE REPORT OF THE ROUNDTABLE SESSION ON

‘PASTORALISM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL AND REGIONAL STABILITY’ ORGANISED BY THE GUSAU INSTITUTE (GI)AND HELD AT SHEHU MUSA YAR’ADUA CENTRE, ABUJA ON 30NOVEMBER 2017

1.Background

1.1The Gusau Institute (GI) was founded by Lt Gen Aliyu Gusau Mohammed (rtd), former Nigerian National Security Adviser (NSA) and Honourable Minister of Defence (HMOD), with the view of contributing qualitative inputs to security management and good governance in Nigeria, Africa, and the international community. The GI Roundtable Series aims to provide a neutral platform and networking opportunity for representatives from the diplomatic community, private sector and the federal and state governments in Abuja, Nigeria to exchange ideas on issues relevant to their areas of common interest. The focus is on devising road maps for improved collaboration and cooperation. The Chatham House Rule applies to allow for frank and open dialogue.

2.Rationale for Hosting the Session on Pastoralism and Its Implications for National and Regional Stability

2.1The increasing number of deadly clashes between farmers and herdsmen across an expanding area in Nigeria is cause for great concern. Not only has it destabilise many affected communities, it has created undue animosity towards Fulani herdsmen that could potentially lead to both internal and regional instability. Clearly, there is a need for urgent action on all levels to prevent the current clashes from escalating and expanding.

2.2Moreover, the GI firmly believes all role players - whether from the federal government, state governments, regional bodies, or civil society - have to have a deep understanding of all the issues involved before consensus can be reached on proper, actionable solutions. It is with this in mind that the institute decided to focus its second roundtable session on the issue of “Pastoralism and Its Implications for National and Regional Stability”. The roundtable was hosted on the 30th of November 2017 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, and organisations/government departments in charge of, or responsible for dealing with transhumance issues, as well as interested parties, interrogated the problems surrounding pastoralism in Nigeria and the region.

3.Participation

3.1.The roundtable was attended by senior federal government officials, representatives from the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, representatives from civil society organisationsincluding the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), renowned Nigerian scholars on the issue, and knowledgeable individuals. Also gracing the roundtable with their presence wasthe founder of the GI, Gen AliyuMohammed Gusau (rtd), H.E. Governor KashimShettima of Borno State, and former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

4.Methodology

4.1.The roundtable was a three hourmeeting that allowed for frank and open dialogue with the Chatham House Rule fully observed. The event formally commencedwith introductory remarksby Brig GenSaleh Bala (rtd), the Chairman/Moderator of the meeting. After his introductory remarks, a lead discussant set the pace for the discussions and this was followed by an interactive session during which participants made their contributions on the issues presented. The proceedings were conducted in English.

5.Overview

5.1.The meeting commenced at 10h45 on 30November 2017 and was chaired and moderated by General Saleh Bala (rtd), a member of the GI Steering Committee. Discussions lasted for about three hours and concluded at 13h35.

5.2In his opening remarks, the Chair welcomed all to the meeting, stating that they are here to discuss a very serious security challenge confronting not only Nigeria, but indeed, the region. He noted that thisroundtable on pastoralism and stability was the second in a series of roundtables to interrogate matters of crucial national and regional security importance. This particular roundtable, he stated, was carefully couched as a follow-up to the previous one, which focused on issues surrounding irregular migration in the region. He confirmed that the issue of irregular migration, and specifically transhumance, was also among the factors complicating the conflicts emanating from pastoralism in Nigeria and Africa. He gave a brief background on this issue, noting that, across Africa, farmer-herder grievances are common and have continued to be a major issue that requiresurgent attention. He opined thatthe increasingnumber of deaths from these farmer-herder clashes indicates thecentrality or nexus between pastoralism and regional instability. He also said thatincreasing conflicts between nomadic pastoralists and sedentary groups in Nigeria have assumed dangerous dimensions as people are now well armed and acting with impunity. In addressing the problem, there are socio-political, geopolitical, and ethno-political fault lines to consider, as well as environmental constraints, as they hold vast implications forhuman security in general, and food security in particular. After this brief background, he outlined the proceedings of the discourse and handed over to the lead discussant.

5.3.In his introductory remarks, the lead discussant provided an overview of pastoralism, expressing his views on the reasons for the increasing wave of farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria. According to him, it is a recurring theme from time immemorial that has not been properly managed through appropriate measures and mechanisms.This resulted in large rural areas being ungoverned, leaving nomadic pastoralists vulnerable to especially extortion. Moreover, after the 1966 coup d’état, a collapse of values has translated into a collapse of mechanisms, and the blame for this state of affairs has over time been passed on to the nomadic pastoralists. Still, he highlighted the importance of pastoralism for the development and stabilization of the Sahara-Sahel areas, and stressed the need to support the resilience of pastoral communities to overcome crises. According to him, problems associated withpastoralism are re-occurring due to related circumstances of weak traditional institutions, weak local governance structures, weak governance, weak security and justice systems, collapse of community relations, unfavourable policies that have been impoverishing not only the pastoralists, but also farmers, and provocative media reportson farmer-herder conflicts. He asserted that the sensationalized, inflammatory rhetoric by the media and religious leaders often characterize pastoralist related conflicts and right now, is motivating hate speech and engendering communities to take up arms in defence of the designated aggressor.He noted that thisroundtable organised by the GI was indeed apt, as it was addressing a major security concern for Nigeria and the region. He emphasised that there is a need to find solutions to the persistent farmer-herder conflicts that have emanated from transhumance. However, he noted that finding sustainable solutions to the problem have been difficult in the past, as a result of the complicity of the political and ruling class in the security conundrum. He recommended that Nigeria takes advantage of its diversity to navigate through this security challenge.

5.4.The questions subsequently discussed by participants included the following:

What are the issues/problems surrounding pastoralism in Nigeria?
What is the understanding of transhumance in Nigeria?
Can government policies and programmes address the conflicts between pastoralist and sedentary farmers in Nigeria?
What are the possible implications of implementing these policies and programmes for not only the pastoral lifestyle, but national and regional stability too?
What are the possible ways of mitigating pastoralist and sedentary farmer conflicts in Nigeria and the region?

6.Responses and Suggestions

6.1Participants unanimously agreed that pastoralism is not a new phenomenon, and further identified the major contributing factors to conflict in this regard as ever scarcer resources, inadequate security measures, climate change, governance failures, communication gaps and the transformation and increasingly violent character of criminal activities.

6.2At the opening of the interactive session, participants agreed that the contributions of the roundtable will be beneficial to the nation. They noted too that the challenge of pastoralism is one that has bedevilled the nation for decades, and therefore needs to be given special attention. In their view, Nigeria can solve the problem of constant farmer-herder conflict by developing the livestock sector in line with international best practices. However, it should be a gradual process with a transitional phase. They also noted that a major problem that has exacerbated the farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria is that, over the years, there has been developmental neglect of the rural areas, and in most cases, largeswathes of these rural areas have remained ungoverned. As a result, the relevant structures to maintain crop production and vibrant livestock were almost non-existent or weak. This has forced both farmers and pastoralists to fend for themselves which, most times, has been self-serving and narrow-minded, ultimately leading to conflict between the two groups. They also expressed concern about the weaknesses in the security apparatuses, especially in dealing with these farmer-herder conflicts. Participants also observed that in most government policies pastoralists are shut out even though they contribute a fair percentage tothe GDP of the country; an action that may lead to the collapse of local economies, collapse of values and governance, loss of political economy and community engagement. Moreover, it was observed that not enough attention is being paid to infrastructure development to address stressors, for e.g. the building of dams to alleviate water scarcity. However, the environmental impact of the building of dams on the surrounding communities is also not always fully calculated. Equally, most pastoralists are not properly informed on the proposed ranching method, a situation that ultimately will be harmful to the food value chain.

6.3Participants also affirmed that environmental degradation, population growth, and regional instability have altered migration patterns, pushingnomadic herders intousing new routes. In the case of Nigeria, it was mentioned that the prominent northeast corridor currently is almost unavailable for cattle grazing largely due to climate change and the ongoing insurgency in the area. There,participants observed, water resources have shrunk and crop yields have dropped. Given the fact that the cattle population is constantly growing, they averred, it creates a fundamental resource problem, which if not solved, will lead to bigger and more violent conflicts. Participants also stressed that the limited access to arable land and unreliable water sources have increased natural resource pressures all over, resulting in blocked grazing routes and increased destruction of farmland,which in turn exacerbates the tension between farmers and herders.Add the use of AK47s in conflicts, and you have a recipe for disaster. Concerns were raised that the focus is on conflict resolution only, and not on the root causes of the conflict and conflict prevention. The latter will only be possible through inter alia public education, social transformation and re-orientation of the affected pastoralists on the proposed ranching method. However, participants noted a lack of understanding for pastoralists, and the fact that Government therefore does not take their perspective into account when devising policy, or proffering solutions.

6.4.Also at the roundtable, participantsstressed that farmer-herder conflict is one of the most important issues currently undermining Nigeria’s security. It was emphatically stated that this problem could prove to be more deadly and difficult to address than the challenges posed by Boko Haram. Leave unchecked, it will also intensify relatedcriminal activities such as kidnapping, weapon smuggling and cattle rustling.It was noted that Fulani herdsmen operating in Nigeria and the Central African Republic (CAR) were named as the fourth deadliest terror group in the world by the Global Terrorism Index, and they remain a formidable armed group.

6.5Participants also faulted government policies and programmes on the issue, regarding them as not well thought out. In particular, they raised issue with not including, comprehensively, the livestock sector in Nigeria’s Agricultural Policy. Also, they observed that the implementation of anti-grazing laws by some Nigerian states was short sighted. In addition, participants were of the opinion that the processes leading up to the adoption of theproposed ranching method for cattle rearing are not inclusive enough. Proper understanding of all the implications should nomadic pastoralists be forced to settle down, is lacking. It will take a total socio-cultural transformation to achieve this successfully, and it will be impossible without the collaboration and agreement of the Fulani herder community. Settlement also has implications for the current herds, whether it has to do with the breed of cattle, health issues, etc.

6.6Participants underscored theneed for both the national and the state governments to initiate processes that will engender better understanding by the populace of the issues surrounding pastoralism,stressing the importance of addressingrelated problems constructively and comprehensively. It was stated that, to date,government responses have been short sighted and failed to encourage community level dialogue. Participants therefore urged all sectors of government to be proactive because pastoralist related conflicts are complex and multi-dimensional; hence formulating appropriate responses requires clear understanding,concerted efforts, holistic solutions and multi-pronged approaches, beyond just ranching. They called for the mobilization of all actors to secure the livelihoods of pastoral societies and their means of production. In this, they said the state governments, federal government and international partners, should engage themselves to deepen and entrench the several national and cross-border development programmes currently in place on the matter. Finally, they advocated better confidence building measures between government and conflicting parties through increased community engagement and re-orientation.

7.Observations/Suggestions/Recommendations

7.1From the contributions made during the interactive session, the followingmain observations emerged:

The Federal Government of Nigeria should strengthen good governance practices as they play a critical role in productivity and poverty alleviation. The importance of well-performing public institutions and good governance cannot be over-emphasized. Strong and viable institutions allow for more effective management of shared resources and environmental services which is critical in this instance.

The Federal Government of Nigeria in conjunction with the State Governmentsshould consider re-visiting Nigeria’scurrent security architecture to include dedicated resources fornew challenges. There is a dire need to review the national security policy and strategy to address pastoralist and sedentary farmers’ conflicts more directly and comprehensively, as well as reinvigorating policy guidelines on grazing activities to mitigate the challenges of such conflicts. The security architecture should be able to connect between the components of that structure.
The Federal Government of Nigeria also needs to strengthen law enforcement agencies and Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
The Federal Government should co-ordinate with State Governments to reduce risk of violence and to define a clear and coherent political approach to resolving the risks of pastoralist related conflicts.
The State Governments should work more closely with traditional institutions and leaders in seeking solutions. The engagement and input of traditional community leaders as products of their respective people’s consensus, customs and cultures could help mitigate the friction between pastoralist and agrarian communities.

The Federal Government should give special consideration to ungoverned spaces in the country in the framing of Nigeria’s Security Sector Reform (SSR) Policy.

The Federal Government should prioritize the farmer-herdsmen conflict as it is aserious threat to national security.
The Federal Government, in conjunction with the State Governments, should develop institutional frameworks to strengthen the Local Governance capacity of Nigerian communities at the fringes.
The Federal Government, in conjunction with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), should revisit the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol of 1998 and the ECOWAS Protocol of Free Movement of Goods and Persons in West Africa to investigate how these rules and guidelines could be better implemented, or where they should be adapted.
TheFederal Government, through the Ministry of Information, National Orientation Agency and relevant government institutions, is urged to use effective community outreach programmes to create awareness, enlightenment, sensitization, as well as strong dialogue mechanisms with communities and their traditional leaders along transhumance corridors on the current grazing laws and the need for peaceful coexistence.
Most importantly, a comprehensive study of Fulani culture and pastoralism should be commissioned so as to provide much needed insight into the thought processes that will allow for positive dialogue and negotiation.

8.Closing Remarks

8.1The Moderator thanked all discussants for their contributions and views, and for making the second edition of the GI Roundtable Series possible. He restated that the event was organised with the aim of providing experts an opportunity to voice their opinions, suggesting viable solutions for the problems posed. He informed participants that the views expressed during the interactive session will be made available on the GI website in due course. He furthermore urged attendees to explore areas of cooperation and collaboration.

8.2In the end he noted that the roundtable highlighted the importance of pastoralism for the development and stabilization of the Sahara-Sahel areas, and he stressed the need to support the resilience of pastoral communities to overcome crises.He expressed the hope that participants will hold follow-up meetings in their own time too to effect positive change in terms of those problems that fall under their respective jurisdictions.

8.3Discussions ended at 13h35.