MACBAN Bans Child and Night Grazing in Kwara State

• The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association bans child herders and night grazing in Kwara State to promote peace between farmers and pastoralists
• MACBAN’s president emphasizes the importance of mutual understanding and warns against trespassing on farmlands and engaging in provocative practices

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has banned child herders and night grazing in Kwara State, aligning with similar policies in other states to foster peace and mutual understanding.

Alhaji Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, the National President of MACBAN, announced the decision in Ilorin during the inauguration of the association’s new executive council. The new leadership was elected by consensus to serve for the next four years.

Othman-Ngelzarma stressed the need for peaceful coexistence between farmers and pastoralists in Kwara State and urged the new leadership to promote harmony. He stated, “We have directed our members, including the newly elected executives, to ensure pastoralists and farmers maintain mutual understanding in the state.”

He emphasized that trespassing on farmlands and using children to graze cattle at night are unacceptable practices. “Night grazing is often a deliberate attempt to provoke conflict,” he added, warning that anyone caught engaging in these activities would be handed over to security agencies for appropriate action. “Just as cattle are valuable to pastoralists, crops are equally precious to farmers,” he remarked.

The MACBAN president also welcomed the establishment of a Ministry of Livestock by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, calling it a long-overdue development. If managed well, the ministry could revolutionize Nigeria’s economy, reduce dependency on imports, and save over $2 billion.

Othman-Ngelzarma also addressed the issue of national security, highlighting the growing complexities of kidnapping and banditry. He called for a collective effort to tackle these challenges, noting that both pastoralists and farmers are affected by crime. “Criminality knows no boundaries, and all perpetrators should be treated equally,” he said, urging all stakeholders, including traditional rulers, security agencies, non-state actors, and the media, to work together to find solutions.

Hon. Muhammad Abdullahi Seriki, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Community Relations (Fulani), reinforced the importance of the relationship between cattle herders and farmers, acknowledging the presence of elements that incite tensions between the two groups.