Taraba Varsity Lecturer Urges Tinubu: Reevaluate ECOWAS Grazing Protocol
Professor John Ajai, who teaches at Taraba State University, has urged President Bola Tinubu to swiftly reassess Nigeria’s adherence to the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol and expedite the creation of a federal statute prohibiting open grazing throughout the nation.
In an open letter directed to the President, Ajai issued a warning that the nation stands at a "pivotal juncture" requiring decisive leadership to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and cohesion.
As per his view, the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol, designed initially to ease livestock movement throughout West Africa, has instead exacerbated instability, enabled militant groups to seize territory forcefully, and compromised Nigeria’s borders.
“The unregulated cross-border movements have enabled not just pastoralists but heavily armed groups to enter Nigerian territories under the guise of transhumance,” he said.
Ajai mentioned that this situation has resulted in the relocation of indigenous populations, devastation of their means of subsistence, and escalating tensions spanning multiple states such as Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa.
Referring to a report funded by USAID, Ajai highlighted that from 2015 to 2019, Nigeria experienced around 7,000 fatalities along with roughly $13 billion in yearly economic losses as a result of violent clashes tied to livestock farming activities.
He cautioned that criminal organizations and insurgent groups like Boko Haram were taking advantage of gaps in the free movement agreements to traffic weapons, carry out reconnaissance activities, and commit terrorist actions.
Ajai contended that sticking with the obsolete procedure deters investments in contemporary livestock methods like ranching and feedlots, crucial elements for advancing agriculture and ensuring national food safety.
Describing the situation as a “dangerous erosion of sovereignty,” he urged President Tinubu to order a comprehensive reassessment of Nigeria’s participation in the protocol and, if necessary, renegotiate or withdraw from it in the national interest.
At the same time, Ajai praised the president for setting up the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, calling it a "forward-thinking move," yet emphasized that additional firm actions needed to be taken to ban open grazing indefinitely.
He urged Tinubu to lead the way for the rapid enactment and enforcement of the Anti-Open Grazing Bill, noting that it has already cleared the final stage in the Senate. He believes this presents an unprecedented chance to tackle the underlying issues behind violent land seizures.
"These are exceptional circumstances that call for remarkable leadership. Future generations will commend this era as the pivotal moment when Nigeria opted for survival, sovereignty, and rejuvenation instead of stagnation and fragmentation," he asserted.
The leader voiced hope that with strong guidance, Nigeria might surmount its present security issues and regain its status as a unified and thriving country in Africa.
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