The impact of climate change on insecurity and the plight of agro-pastural system in Northern Nigeria is a glaring reality. Yet, this reality has been overlooked.
A profound thought is missing in our country’s deliberation of policies amidst implementation. This missing thought lies in the idea that a policy is succeeded the moment it is implemented. The perception is that implementation is itself a successful achievement. Thus politicians buy the idea to program cover and broadcast what they have implemented as part of their (administration) successes.
Whereas policy implementation in Nigeria has virtually remained a day-dream, not all policies are designed to be ‘achieved.’ If and when a policy is luckily implemented, it does not however suggest achievement has been made. There is the all-important need to undertake robust timely review of policies because they need to be continued on and on.
Demographic and climate change realities are areas demanding a recycling review of agro-pastural policies, implementation and amendment time on time. The challenge posed by these realities have shortened the availability of floral and faunal lands and amidst seasonal scarcity of pasture, encroachment into both agricultural and grazing lands becomes intolerable. This leads to growing tensions and resource-based conflict between farmers and herders across the Northern part of Nigeria.
Demographic explosion has caused an unbearable increase in the demand for farmlands leaving herders with a little land to graze from grass to grave.
Grazing routes have been destroyed by road and rail constructions as well as by the gradual expansion of settlements and other projects.
Fulani lifeline has been tormented leaving their grief-stricken herding band to wander across forests and join the notorious bandit groups. This latter category of the forest population, has already criminalised forest stock routes and has turned the forest reserves—already unbeckoned and destroyed—into their hideouts.
The failure of the governments to address the Fulani question greatly helped in nurturing the Fulani savage behaviour in the forest communities. The Nigerian government is unwilling to keep with it, the responsibility of researching and reviewing existing policies with a view to advance the prospects of its agro-pastural population. Responding to this need only in times of emergencies is the worst thing a nation can do often with no potential impact at all.