Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria, KACRAN, has raised alarm over what it described as a mass exodus of livestock from Nigeria, warning that the development poses a serious threat to the nation’s economy, food security and national security.
The warning is contained in a press statement signed on Friday by its National President, Hon. Khalil Mohd Bello, describing the situation as a “national emergency” and “a national disgrace.”
“It is deeply unfortunate and a national disgrace that Nigeria, currently ranked as the 4th country with the largest livestock population in Africa, is now witnessing the worst depletion of its livestock resources in history,” Bello said.
“If Nigeria was truly serious about harnessing its God-given resources, it should be number one in Africa, if not in the entire world,” he added.
KACRAN recalled that before the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Northern Nigeria was blessed with tens of millions of livestock.
“The North was so densely populated with livestock that whenever a national census was conducted by the National Population Commission, our brothers from the South rejected the figures, insisting that the North was counting its animals as human beings,” the statement said.
According to the association, the era was marked by peace, dense vegetation and abundant water, allowing a single pastoralist to own hundreds or thousands of livestock, with governments in the old Borno Empire generating more revenue from cattle tax, Jangali, than from head tax.
The group lamented that the situation has changed drastically from the late 1980s to date, with pastoralists moving out in millions to countries such as Gabon, Central African Republic, Benin Republic, Togo, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana and more recently to Southern Nigeria due to insecurity, lack of grazing reserves and neglect by state governments.
“Cattle rustling occasioned by severe insecurity in the North-West, North-East and North-Central, where millions of livestock were forcefully rustled by bandits and marauders, has added salt to injury,” Bello stated.
KACRAN expressed particular concern over the trend in the last one to two years in major livestock markets including Potiskum, reputed to be the largest cattle market in West Africa, as well as markets in Damaturu, Maiduguri, Ngalda and Gombe.
“On a daily basis, trailers are loaded with rams, sheep and cattle and taken directly to Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo.
“Alarmingly, reports available to KACRAN indicate that in Potiskum small ruminants market alone, about five trailers are loaded with rams and sheep daily and taken to these African countries,” he added.
The association said while it is not against legitimate livestock business, it prefers that such trade be redirected to Southern Nigeria.
“We strongly prefer that such trade be conducted between Northern and Southern Nigeria – Lagos, Port Harcourt, Asaba and other Southern States – to retain value within our national economy,” Bello said.
He warned that if the trend continues, most Nigerians may not afford rams for festivities.
To address the crisis, KACRAN called on Northern Governors and leaders to place an immediate embargo on exportation of female animals and young breeding stock, provide soft loans to livestock exporters to redirect their business to Southern Nigeria, and invest heavily in reviving grazing reserves and cattle routes.
Other measures proposed include tackling cattle rustling and banditry, improving animal breeds, and supporting businesses in the livestock value chain.