UNILORIN PROFESSOR PROPOSES GRASSLAND INTENSIFICATION TO END FARMER-HERDER CLASHES
Read Time:58 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
A University of Ilorin scholar has urged the Federal Government to tackle recurring farmer-herder clashes by adopting grassland intensification the large-scale cultivation of pasture fields to feed livestock and reduce competition for land.
Professor Sidiqat Adeyemi Aderinoye-Abdulwahab, of the Faculty of Agriculture, made the call on Thursday while delivering the university’s 289th inaugural lecture, titled Sustainable, Smart, and Safe Pastoralism in Nigeria.
She described the approach as a climate-friendly solution that improves soil health, prevents erosion, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, and promotes peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders.
The professor urged the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development to lead the initiative, deploy trained livestock extension agents nationwide, and promote rotational grazing, pasture restoration, and agroforestry. She also advocated intermarriages between pastoralists and farmers as a long-term peacebuilding measure.
Calling on the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) to extend weather forecasts to pastoralists, she further proposed social protection schemes for pastoralist women, including skill acquisition programmes and income diversification, to ease climate-related pressures.
Highlighting her commitment to community development, Professor Aderinoye-Abdulwahab pledged a N1.5 million endowment fund to inspire future generations of women.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0