By Abdullahi Lukman
Herders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neighbouring states have been urged to stop night grazing and the use of underage children to herd cattle to reduce conflicts with farmers and promote peaceful coexistence.
The call was made on Sunday during a one-day sensitisation programme held in Tafa, along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The event brought together herders from the FCT, Niger, Kaduna and Nasarawa states.
One of the resource persons, Zakariyya Muazu, said night grazing and the involvement of children in cattle herding could contribute to clashes between herders and crop farmers.
Muazu noted that children lacked the experience needed to control cattle effectively and that engaging them in herding deprived them of educational opportunities.
He also warned that the isolated nature of the work could expose them to drug abuse.
Similarly, the Ardo of Fulani in Tafa, Haruna Ahmad Bunkau, urged herders to entrust cattle-rearing responsibilities to literate adults rather than underage children or uneducated persons.
A herder from Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, Ibrahim Mamman, called for the expansion of cattle routes in rural communities, particularly those leading to rivers and other water sources.
Mamman said herders were losing cattle to chemicals sprayed on grazing areas, explaining that such losses often occurred when animals strayed into farmlands, triggering disputes between herders and farmers.
