By Ahmad Saleem
A new study has blamed policy neglect, encroachment, and infrastructure decay in Nigeria’s grazing reserves and stock routes for the persistent farmer-herder clashes that continue to threaten peace and security across the country.
The study, conducted by the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRING) Programme, revealed that decades of poor maintenance, weak data management, and lack of political will have rendered many of the 415 grazing reserves across the country ineffective.
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The report was unveiled in Kano during a dissemination workshop aimed at promoting evidence-based solutions to the recurring conflict between farmers and pastoralists.
According to Dr. Ukoha Ukiwo, the SPRING Team Leader, the four-year UK-funded initiative launched in 2024 is designed to support peacebuilding and climate resilience efforts across Nigeria.
“A significant component of the programme involves supporting the resolution and prevention of violent conflicts, many of which stem from competition between farmers and pastoralists over land and water,” he said.
Dr. Ukiwo explained that the SPRING research, conducted across 13 states in North-Central Nigeria in early 2025, found that out of 415 grazing reserves nationwide, only 141 are gazetted with legal protection, while 274 remain unprotected and heavily encroached upon.
“Infrastructure such as boreholes, veterinary centres, and access roads built decades ago have deteriorated beyond use. Many reserves have also been taken over by farmers, developers, and in some cases, politicians and businessmen,” he stated.
He added that while grazing reserves remain an effective concept for mitigating conflict, neglect and lack of coordination have made most of them dysfunctional.
The study noted that while some states like Kano and Gombe have taken positive steps to safeguard reserves and stock routes, others have remained indifferent or outrightly opposed to the idea—particularly in the southern parts of the country.
It urged governments to demonstrate renewed commitment by gazetting reserves, protecting stock routes, and improving the accuracy of data used for planning and development.
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Also speaking at the event, Pirmah Rimdans, Conflict Adviser at the British High Commission, said the SPRING Programme focuses on evidence-based approaches to addressing conflict triggers in Nigeria.
“We know that one of the major drivers of conflict in Nigeria is the farmer-herder crisis. To adequately address it, we must first understand it,” she said.
“Our researchers have examined grazing reserves and stock routes to understand how these practices feed into conflict. This dissemination session allows us to validate the findings with stakeholders in Kano.”
She said the UK Government views such engagements as essential to ensuring that peacebuilding programmes are data-driven and locally owned.
Representing the Kano State Government, Umar Musa Gano, Head of the Pastoral and Rural Management Section at the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said the state’s proactive measures have significantly reduced farmer-herder clashes.
“We have minimal farmer-herder crises in Kano due to the government’s commitment to protecting grazing reserves, stock routes, and watering points,” he said.
“Kano has an existing Grazing Reserve Law that prevents encroachment, and the government has strengthened it with new rules and regulations.”
Gano added that the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development has further enhanced the coordination of livestock production and research-based policy reforms.
“We encourage other states to follow Kano’s example by setting up livestock development agencies and investing in animal science research,” he added.
On his part, Abdulqadir Sambo, SPRING’s Regional Manager for the Northwest, said the meeting was not about prescribing quick fixes but about creating space for dialogue and collective action.
“In the Northwest, traditional stock routes that pastoralists have used for decades have been taken over by farmlands, increasing tension and competition for resources,” he said.
“Our goal is to bring together government officials, civil society, and pastoral associations to discuss these realities and identify joint solutions.”
The SPRING report recommended improved data collection, rehabilitation of grazing infrastructure, and stronger partnerships between state governments and pastoralist communities. It also urged collaboration with states willing to reform, including Kano, Yobe, Gombe, and Nasarawa.
Dr. Ukiwo concluded that revitalising grazing reserves and stock routes is central to building peace and resilience amid rising population pressure, climate change, and land scarcity.
“The rehabilitation and protection of these reserves are not just about agriculture—they are about peace, livelihoods, and the future stability of Nigeria,” he said.
