Farmers and herders in Kankara Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina State have agreed to promote peace in their communities through dialogue.
The groups agreed to end the age-long clash between farmers and herders, during a community-based dialogue in Kankara on Thursday.
The dialogue, aimed at promoting agricultural activities in their respective communities, was organised by Mercy Corps, an NGO, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).
It was organised under the NGO’s Conflict Mitigation and Community Reconciliation in North-West Nigeria (CMCR-NW) project, with funding support from the European Union (EU).
According to the leaders of the farmers and herders in the Kankara and Ketare Districts of the LGA, the agreement is in the interest of their communities and national development.
They added that the agreement was necessary, considering that without peace, there would be no development in their respective areas.
The leader of the herders, Malam Idris Imam, the Sarkin Fulanin Ketare, said that the dialogue, being organised by Mercy Corps, has contributed significantly to reducing the incidence of conflicts between herders and farmers.
Imam said that so far, the incidence of farmers’ and herders’ conflict has reduced by 70 per cent since the commencement of the dialogue.
“Before now, the Fulanis have experienced different forms of discrimination, particularly in respect of development and other interventions to improve the well-being of people, but I can tell you now, that there is a remarkable improvement in that regard.
“Our people are now being engaged in so many government activities and other developmental programmes, and this dialogue is one of such efforts,” he said.
On his part, the leader of farmers at the meeting, Abdullahi Gundawa, described the dialogue as a good initiative that brought farmers and herders together towards ensuring peace.
This, he said, would lead to a bumper harvest in the 2024 planting season.
“If misunderstanding continued to exist between us, both the farmers and herders will never progress, as such, peace and unity must exist among us if we must move forward,” Gundawa said.
He said that the two groups were working voluntarily under a Community Response Network (CRN), established to enlighten and educate people on the importance of peace and unity in the development of their communities.
Similarly, the CRN Chairman in the local government, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba, explained that the network was saddled with the responsibility of settling disputes between farmers and herders, between families and between neighbours.
Garba said that the network had settled several disputes since its inauguration in 2023, for farming and other socio-economic activities to thrive.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other participants at the meeting included LGA officials, women, youths, persons with disabilities, and traditional, community and religious leaders.
