By Kabiru Muhammad Aminu
Bayero University, Kano (BUK), is set to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Africa’s dryland ecosystems as it prepares to host the 5th International Conference on Drylands, with a strategic focus on revitalizing rangelands across the continent.
The event, organized by the university’s Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), will be held from May 6 to 8, 2025, at the CBN Centre of Excellence in Kano. This year’s theme, “Promoting Sustainability and Resilience of Rangelands: Present and Future Outlooks,” reflects growing global concern over the sustainability of rangelands—vast but vulnerable landscapes that support millions of people across Africa and other dry regions of the world.
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Speaking ahead of the event, the Director of the CDA, Professor Jibrin Muhammad Jibrin, said the conference comes at a crucial time when climate change, desertification, and increasing competition over natural resources are threatening the livelihoods and food security of dryland communities.
“Rangelands cover more than 40 percent of the Earth’s surface and are home to over 500 million people,” he said. “In Sub-Saharan Africa—particularly the Sahel and dry savannah regions—these lands are indispensable for livestock production, biodiversity, water regulation, and carbon storage. Yet they are increasingly under pressure from climate variability, unsustainable land use, and violent conflict.”
Professor Jibrin emphasized that the conference will go beyond academic discourse, serving as a platform to develop actionable strategies for restoring, governing, and utilizing rangelands sustainably.
Participants will include leading researchers, policymakers, civil society actors, development partners, and pastoralist representatives, with the goal of fostering new partnerships and generating solutions that are both scientifically sound and locally grounded.
Over three days, attendees will engage in plenary discussions, technical paper presentations, and thematic sessions focusing on climate-smart livestock production; rangeland degradation and restoration; land tenure and conflict management and community-led innovations and policy reforms.
A highlight of the event will be a high-level policy panel titled “From Reflection to Action: Reimagining Nigeria’s Rangelands for Resilience and Food Security.” The conference will also feature exhibitions from national and international organisations showcasing innovative technologies and practices, and field visits to demonstration sites across northern Nigeria.
Professor Jibrin further disclosed that the conference will culminate in the release of a communiqué outlining key policy recommendations and research priorities. Organisers hope the outcomes will contribute to global and continental agendas, including the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
“The conference is designed to bring visibility to dryland issues and ensure that rangelands receive the attention they deserve in sustainable development discourse,” he said. “It is not just a gathering of experts—it is a call to action for the future of millions who depend on these fragile landscapes.”
As a World Bank and AFD-supported Africa Centre of Excellence, the CDA has led numerous initiatives aimed at addressing the unique challenges of dryland regions across West and Central Africa.
Through its biennial conferences, it continues to mobilize cross-sectoral collaboration to protect the continent’s most at-risk ecosystems.
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