Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has invited Fulani herdsmen facing challenges in grazing their cattle in different parts of the country to come and establish themselves in Kano State.
The governor, who spoke at an event held to vaccinate over one million cattle and other small animals in Garum Malam Local Government Area of the state today,Sunday described the recent killings between the farmers and herders as unwarranted,.
According to him, Kano has a wide expanse of land, including dedicated grazing reserves that remained largely under-utilized.
“I am inviting herdsmen from all parts of Nigeria to relocate to Kano because we have enough facilities to accommodate them,”
“We have grazing lands in Rogo, Gaya, Kura, Tudun Wada, Ungogo and other reserved places where facilities are in place to accommodate the herdsmen and their cattle.”
The Kano State governor who said that it is rare to find a Fulani herder of Kano origin in other states, stressed that it had become a priority for his administration to ensure that Fulani, notwithstanding their origin, do not face stigmatization or outright rejection on the basis of their nomadic exploits.
“These killings must stop. We cannot afford to continue to witness these senseless killings in the name of Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash over lack of grazing land while we have a place like the Falgore Game Reserve underutilised.”
The governor said that the Falgore Game Reserve, spanning over three local government areas in Kano State, “can take care of millions of herdsmen and their cattle in Nigeria.” Kano State is about 20,000 square kilometres in size.
“The place has been designed to contain schools, human and animal clinics, markets, recreational centres and other social amenities that can give the herdsmen enough comfort to take care of their animals and do their business without hindrance,” he said, adding that Kano State would partner with the federal government to modernize grazing. [myad]
