A coalition of pastoralist groups has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to treat Nigeria's livestock sector as a major economic force, while demanding an immediate stop to what they describe as the systematic criminalisation of Fulani herders. The group says the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development lacks the funding and reach to fulfil its mandate.
The Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria, operating under the Confederation of Pastoralist NGOs (CONPA), made the appeal at a press conference held in Abuja on Sunday, October 25. General Secretary Abdullahi Ardo spoke on behalf of the coalition, which represents more than 30 organisations and millions of herders across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Three Policy Demands to Unlock Livestock Value
Ardo acknowledged Tinubu's decision to establish a dedicated Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, describing it as a breakthrough after six decades of advocacy. However, the group warned that the ministry remains largely inactive at the grassroots level. "Livestock is a N30 trillion economy. It cannot be treated with levity," he said.
To unlock that value, the coalition outlined three specific policy demands: allocating at least 30 per cent of the national agricultural budget to the Ministry of Livestock Development, gazetting all 417 existing grazing reserves to protect them legally, and launching pilot ranches alongside commercial fodder production schemes across all six geopolitical zones.
Concerns Over Criminalisation and Violence
Beyond economics, the group raised alarm over what it called the growing tendency to treat an entire ethnic community as criminal. The coalition said that the labelling of Fulani pastoralists as bandits and kidnappers by security agencies and media outlets has contributed to jungle justice, hate speech, and the extrajudicial killing of innocent herders, women, and children. "Criminals are criminals and have no tribe," Ardo said, urging authorities to arrest and prosecute individuals rather than targeting communities.
The group cited recent violence in Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states, saying hundreds of pastoralists have been killed, thousands of cattle stolen, and entire Ruga settlements burnt down with little media attention, compensation, or protection from security forces.
Call for National Dialogue and Accountability
Pointing to more than 20,000 deaths recorded over a decade of farmer-herder clashes, the coalition urged Tinubu to convene a National Dialogue and Reconciliation bringing together Miyetti Allah, traditional rulers, the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Jama'atu Nasril Islam, security agencies, and state governments.
At the same time, the leadership challenged pastoralist communities to hold themselves accountable, urging herders to keep cattle off farmlands, report criminal elements within their ranks, and invest in education for their children. The coalition announced plans for a nationwide sensitisation campaign covering all six geopolitical zones, calling for "justice without discrimination, security without exclusion, development without marginalisation, and peaceful coexistence based on mutual respect and the rule of law."
