Prof. Attahiru Jega, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Livestock Reforms, has said that the president has the capacity and political will to end the long-standing farmers-herders conflict in Nigeria if the right reforms are fully implemented.
Jega made this statement during a lecture at the University of Ilorin on Monday as part of activities marking the institution’s 50th anniversary. The lecture, themed *”The Political Economy of Livestock Development in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects,”* was held in honour of Senator Saliu Mustapha.
The former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that the recurring clashes between farmers and herders are caused by growing pressure on land, climate change, and poor management of natural resources.
“President Tinubu has shown the willingness and capacity to solve this crisis,” Jega said. “But there must be support from key stakeholders, including the National Assembly, security agencies, and state governments, to make the necessary livestock reforms work.”
He stressed that only evidence-based solutions and strong collaboration across different sectors can address the root causes of the conflict and build lasting peace in rural areas.
The farmers-herders crisis has led to the loss of thousands of lives and property over the years and remains one of Nigeria’s major security and economic challenges, especially in agrarian communities across the Middle Belt and northern regions.
