Communities in Awe and Azara Emirate Council in Nasarawa State, on Wednesday demonstrated commitment by signing a peace pact towards the implementation of National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) in the state.
The peace agreement was facilitated by an NGO, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) an implementing partner of the NLTP.
Dr Ahmed Yassin, Lead Facilitator of HD in Nigeria, said the signing of the Awe-Azara Emirate Natural Resource Peace Agreement was to solidify their commitment towards the implementation of NLTP in the Awe grazing reserve.
Yassin said that HD as an implementing partner of the NLTP, focused on two pillars – conflict and peace resolution, and inclusion of women and youth.
“We are here on a mission to sign the first ever peace agreement in support of Federal Government programme on NLTP.
“The purpose is to have dialogue meeting with the communities and traditional rulers and have them make commitment to peace by signing peace agreement.
“The peace agreement is purely preventive, to tell them that dialogue is the best way to prevent conflict,” he said.
Yassin said that given the impact of climate change on the environment, it was imperative to engage in smart agricultural practice to adapt and mitigate its impact.
“Cattle routes and grazing reserves are no longer there, more people came in, and we have farmers reside in the reserve, so what do we do to make sure we coexist peacefully, I think that’s our mission here,”he said.
He explained that HD is a Swiss diplomacy organisation founded on the principles of diplomacy, confidentiality and impartiality.
The facilitator said that HD started working Nigeria in 2013 and had mediated between conflicting communities in Plateau North and South, Southern Kaduna, Benue and parts of Nasarawa states.
Dr Abdullahi Musa, Nasarawa state Coordinator of NLTP, said farmers and herders conflict usually occur due to competition for land and water.
He said that the NLTP programme was aimed at ensuring both farmers and herders take care of their animals or farm in such a way that the use for land was maximised to reduce conflict.
Musa disclosed that 30 households were selected out of over 300 communities living within the grazing reserve for the pilot project in Awe.
He noted that the project would be subsequently extended to more people and other grazing reserves across the state.
The Emir of Azara, Dr Kabiru Musa Ibrahim and that of Emir of Awe, Isa Abubakar Umar II, who signed on behalf of both communities, appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on the implementation of the NLTP.
They assured HD and NLTP of support to ensure the success of the programme in Nasarawa state.