Unlocking livestock potential in Yobe state, Nigeria to maximize its socioeconomic benefits, by Mohammed Musa
Livestock production is globally practiced as one of the major preoccupations that people engage in as a means of livelihoods. It is a way of life, deeply rooted in history, tradition and culture.
In Sub Saharan Africa, It is commonly practice in East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania among the Massai people, and in West Africa by the Fulani nomads in countries such as Nigeria, Niger and Senegal among others.
The two nomadic groups have so many things in common – they maintain large herds of cattle, sheep and goat, and both of them practice trans-humance in search of pasture. They prepare to stay close to the nature, especially in the rural areas for free and uninterrupted grazing.
However, apart from the two distinct groups, there are smallholder farmers in both rural and urban areas and across different regions that maintained two to three cows and some small ruminants, which in most cases are intended to support household livelihoods and serves as source of nutrition.
In recognition of the potency of livestock as a veritable source of household income and a key player in economic growth, West African countries, through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have promulgated the ECOWAS protocol on transhumance in 1998 to regulate livestock movements across the borders to enhance livestock production, food security and minimize conflicts.
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Yobe state is situated in the north-eastern Nigeria, a region ravaged by protracted conflict of Boko Haram insurgency for over a decade.
It shares international boundary with Niger republic in the northern part of the state which is prone to desertification and high aridity. The state has one of the largest cattle markets in West Africa located at Potiskum and other cattle markets at Garin Alkali, Kuka Reta and Geidam which facilitate trans-border livestock trading, especially between Nigeria and Niger republics.
Animal rearing is practiced in the state from time immemorial, through nomadic pastoralism characterized by seasonal movement of herders in search of better grazing areas and sedentary animal husbandry (practiced by smallholder farmers) where livestock graze on nearby pastures or sometimes kept in an enclosure and fed from fodder bank.
There are demarcated grazing reserves and cattle routes in the state that serve as the traditional paths to facilitate seasonal movements of herders between grazing areas and water points as well as to ensure they do not encroach on farmlands to avoid conflicts.
Despites its long history of practice, abundance of grazing space and enabling environment backed by national policies and regional protocols, as well as the remarkable support from governments and International Development Partners including UN Agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that have targeted livestock enhancement through livelihood interventions, Yobe state is yet to fully harness its livestock potential to accelerate economic growth.
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Practice chained by culture and tradition
The drive for transformation of livestock
production in Yobe state is being obstructed by cultural inhibitions and traditional practices. The penchant for traditional livestock production has denied traditional pastoralists the opportunity of taking small step to achieve big outcome.
Small step is just about embracing modern livestock production system such as cross breeding of animal species to maximize yield in meat and milk production. Big outcome is measured in quality and quantity when 50 hybrid cows are breed to produce very delicious and highly nutritious milk twice the quantity produced by 100 old stock cows in a day.
Modernization of livestock production system can be seen from another perspective when highly productive forage plant like elephant grass are introduced for feeding of cattle, it will mitigate the seasonal migration that has placed huge burden on the herders and significantly reduce cost of animal feeds. The grass is native to Africa and can thrive in Yobe state.
My experience working to improve household livelihoods among vulnerable population under multiple projects can attest to the fact that most of the interventions coming from the government as well as the development partners keyed into this old practice.
There should be paradigm shift from the old practice by designing interventions to broaden the thinking horizon of the pastoralists and smallholder farmers to embrace modern livestock productivity – providing them with hybrid stock, introducing them to high productive forage plant like the elephant grass and fodder banking as against open grazing and seasonal migration as well as building their capacity in livestock economics and marketing to optimize economic gains.
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These strategies have worked in many context, leading to enhanced and sustainable livestock productivity.
The seasonal movement of the pastoralists fuels child labour and contribute to the number of out of school children in the state as it continue to poise security challenge.
The child herder is vulnerable to forceful recruitment by armed groups. Sedentary livestock production will offer the herdsmen the opportunity to benefit from laudable government initiative like RUGA settlement policy.
Under the RUGA programme, Federal Government of Nigeria in collaboration with Yobe state Government has embarked on housing programme supported with other social amenities such as schools, healthcare centres and markets at Jakusko Nazari in Jakusko LGA for the pastoralist.
Similar projects are under way in Bade Gana and Gurjiya in Bursari and Fika LGAs respectively to tackle the menace of seasonal migration. Pastoralists must embrace this transformative initiative to unlock the livestock potential in Yobe state and get themselves out of the deprivation traps imposed by culture and tradition.
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Livestock production and climate change – Relationship built on Amensalism
Livestock is impacted by climate change in Yobe state just like any other part of the world. In the same vein, climate change is being exacerbated by livestock production.
The relationship can best be described as that of amensalism, where both parties suffer due to their interaction without any corresponding positive impact.
Climate change significantly impacts livestock through heat stress, feed and water scarcity, disease outbreak and disruptions to the livestock supply chain. This is more evident in the northern arid and semi-arid land. These impacts can lead to reduced productivity, decreased animal welfare and health, and economic losses for the pastoralists.
The adverse impacts of livestock on the climate change manifest in emission of methane from animal dung leading to increased carbon footprint. Deforestation through cutting down of trees by herders for feeding of animals also dwindles the carbon sequestration and release of oxygen.
Pastoralists should embrace climate smart livestock production which focuses on practices that increase productivity, enhance resilience to climate change, and reduce greenhouse gas emission from livestock systems. This approach integrates food security and livelihoods with environmental sustainability.
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Steps in the right direction
Yobe state government has taken steps to protect the cattle routes by issuing an executive order directing all local government councils to safeguard grazing reserves and cattle routes from encroachment. The cattle routes are historic pathways for herders from Cameroon through Nigeria to Niger republic. It is crucial for preventing conflict between farmers and herders.
The state is currently upgrading the major cattle markets through construction of new market stall, boreholes, holding pen and loading bay to boost livestock trading.
Upgraded cattle market at Potiskum
As a matter of policy, government should prioritize livestock production the way priority is given to crop production. If fully harnessed, livestock can contribute to increasing the state GDP and revenue base, bolster food security and significantly reduce conflicts.
Yobe is one of the leading states in Nigeria with high number of cattle, sheep and goat, yet there is no single diary plant or meat processing company.
Feasibility studies should be conducted on how livestock can drive industrialization in the state to enhance livestock commodity value chain and create more jobs to reverse the current rate of unemployment in the state, especially among youths.
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The National Livestock Transformation Policy (NLTP) should be reviewed to gain public acceptability as it is currently being contested by some segment of the country, especially north central and southern states who argue that it will alienate their farmland.
The ECOWAS protocol on transhumance has suffered setbacks and some countries are still restricting livestock movement due to security concerns. It need complete overhaul to address emerging concerns from member state and then implementation should be holistic.
Mohammed Musa, a social development expert, writes from Damaturu.
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