By Usman Ibn A. Lapai
Kaduna
The National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) in pursuance of its mandate towards strengthening collaborations and partnership with Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), at the weekend signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) for the nomads to allow their children to acquire formal education.
In his speech at the signing ceremony in Kaduna, the Executive Secretary of NCNE, Professor Rashid Adewumi Aderinoye, noted that the contributions of pastoralists to the national economy in terms of beef, cheese, diary, hides and skin as well as other related products cannot be over-emphasised.
Represented by the director social mobilisation outreach of the commission, Mohammed El-Nafaty, Aderinoye stressed that it was in recognition of the socio-economic contributions of the pastoralists that it becomes imperative to work closely with their umbrella association to move pastoralists to a higher pedestal particularly their education and livelihood.
“Transhumance, as a way of life and a form of livestock management is becoming increasingly difficult or nearly impossible due to lack of access to land in the wake of rapid population growth. This is aggravated by expansion of agricultural activities and other socio-economic factors.
“These include diminishing of availability of land space for grazing, stock movement, deterioration of existing rangelands with low biomass yields, scarcity of water, inadequate cattle stock routes, endemic diseases and parasites abysmally low literacy rates, physical isolation, environmental conditions and constraints, inadequate extension services, incessant conflicts and in recent times cattle rustling and kidnapping.
“The adverse effects of these are loss of lives and property, displacement and hopelessness due to lack of education and training. In order to address these undoubting challenges, there must be synergy between our two organizations” he stated.
