The Yusufu Bala Usman Institute has presented research findings linking land governance challenges, ecological degradation and rising insecurity in Northern Nigeria.
The findings were unveiled at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting held yesterday at Jamil Hotel in Azare, Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The event brought together participants from across Bauchi State, one of four Northern states where the research was conducted.
The other states covered by the project are Jigawa, Kaduna and Katsina. The initiative is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme.
Participants, including traditional rulers, Fulani community leaders, Hausa farmers and religious figures, deliberated on the findings and explored practical solutions to the region’s challenges.
Presenting the research, Dr Adam Higazi identified land expropriation by politicians and agribusiness companies as a major driver of land dispossession affecting farmers and herders in rural areas.
He said such acquisitions have led to indiscriminate deforestation, encroachment on grazing and forest reserves, loss of farmland for smallholder farmers, and obstruction of livestock routes, all of which are fuelling conflict and instability in the region.
Higazi noted that pastoralist communities, particularly the Fulani, are increasingly losing access to grazing lands in Bauchi State due to land expropriation, ecological degradation and expanding human activities.
He added that the development has forced many herders to migrate from Bauchi State to other parts of Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
The researcher recommended a ban on illegal tree felling, restoration of forest and grazing reserves such as Rigar Itas in Itas/Gadau Local Government Area and Udubo Grazing Reserve, as well as the reopening of livestock water routes across the state.
He also called for the protection of land rights for both smallholder farmers and pastoralists, reforms to the Land Use Act, and the establishment of a dedicated commission to address pastoral, farming and environmental issues.
In his remarks, Abdullahi Umar Eggi said the forum was convened to examine land governance, environmental degradation and rising insecurity, and to draw on stakeholders’ experiences in shaping policy responses.
Speaking on behalf of Fulani communities, the Sarkin Fulanin Katagum, Alhaji Muhammad Jauro Gari, urged authorities to take urgent steps to address the challenges facing pastoralists, particularly the loss of grazing lands and growing hardship among herders.
Participants also called for coordinated government action to tackle deforestation, restore livelihoods and strengthen peace and security across Northern Nigeria.
The meeting ended with a call for sustained engagement and decisive policy measures to address the root causes of land-related conflicts and environmental challenges in the region.