Fulani Leaders Demand 30% Agric Budget for Livestock

Fulani leaders, represented by Abdullahi Ardo, General Secretary of the Kautal Pulaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria, have called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to allocate at least 30% of the agricultural budget to the Ministry of Livestock Development. They demand the establishment of pilot ranches across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones and the protection of 417 grazing reserves to mitigate challenges faced by pastoralists and resolve ongoing farmer-herder conflicts.

The leaders reported that over 20,000 lives have been lost to these conflicts in the past decade and urged the federal government to investigate recent killings of pastoralists in states including Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara. They expressed concern over the ministry's lack of funding and operational framework since its establishment in 2024.

The leaders also emphasized the need for a national dialogue involving various stakeholders to foster peaceful coexistence and address the violence affecting pastoralists.