Miyetti Allah’s Call to FG: ‘Use ECOWAS Protocol To Stop Influx Of Herdsmen Into Nigeria’. The Pitfalls In Their Expectations
The Oasis Reporters
February 15, 2021
Ranching is an option waiting for exploration.
A news report by Salisu Sani-Idris says that
Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has called on the Federal Government to leverage on “the ECOWAS transhumance certificate protocol, to check the influx of herdsmen into Nigeria from neighboring countries.
The call was contained in a statement, jointly signed and issued by Alhaji Muhammad Kiruwa, President, and Alhaji Baba Ngelzarma, National Secretary, of the association, on Thursday, in Abuja.
Ngelzarma, who explained that the advice was part of resolutions reached at the end of a one-day National Executive meeting of the association with its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, held in Abuja”.
Considering the above report if it were not tongue in cheek as usual to maneuver, give the impression that a solution is being found, why can’t MACBAN do the right thing by revamping the cow herding business in line with international best practices for profitability and peace sake?
That way, even the itinerant herdsmen would get the message that the game has changed in Nigeria? 
Ngelzama said that “the meeting was called to review the deteriorating security situation in the country, as it affected its members and the continued stereotyping, by the social and the mass media, that all herdsmen were criminals and bandits.
Ngelzarma also stated that the meeting called on the Federal Government to carry out sensitisation and re-orientation programmes for pastoralists, as well as revamp the nomadic education programme for their children.
Similarly, he urged the Federal Government to decisively deal with the issue of porous borders, which made it possible for the massive proliferation of arms”.
” The meeting also calls on the Federal Government to introduce social support programmes, as is done to other sectors of the economy such as; farmers and miners, petroleum sector.
” This will alleviate the huge losses of livestock; taking into consideration the over five million cattle that have been lost as a result of banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and climate change.
” The meeting expressed its outrage at how 1,730 cows were allegedly rustled in Kafin Koro, in Mariga Local Government in Niger State, on Feb. 2, which rendered several families destitute, without any means of livelihood.
” The meeting once again calls on the Corporate Affairs Commission to distinguish its name (Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria) with that of a newly registered organization bearing the same Miyetti Allah, so as not to confuse the public.
” The meeting also appeals to the Federal Government to take immediate action against local criminal gangs known as “Yansakai” in Kebbi and Niger States, who are involved in wanton killings of 153 innocent pastoralists.”
He pledged the cooperation and support of the association to the Federal and State governments, traditional rulers and security agencies, in the fight against banditry and kidnapping in all parts of the country, saying that such cooperation would bring peace, stability and harmonious co-existence”.
If cattle herders in Nigeria do not change their steps and upgrade, they may face competition from new entrants into the business who would come with modern methods and taste buds would change. The herders would then lose.
This scenario happened to NITEL, and they lost to GSM.
Cattle rearing is big business, when the value chain is explored and integrated as well. But the Fulani are stuck on the same page, two hundred years on.
Additional reporting : Greg Abolo.
