The Adamawa Office of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has trained stakeholders on survey and monitoring of farmers-herders conflict in the state.

Alfa Secondee, state project coordinator, disclosed this at the training on survey and monitoring report on the incidence of farmer-herder conflict, on Saturday in Yola.

Mr Secondee said the training was aimed at strengthening peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders, as well as to enhance livestock productivity.

According to him, peace remains the foundation of development, adding that the project was designed to promote dialogue and harmony among stakeholders in the livestock sector.

“Where there is no peace, there is no development.

“That is why we are here today to engage stakeholders and remind them that this project was funded with taxpayers’ money, so participants must take it seriously,” he said.

Mr Secondee said the project had so far established eight abattoirs, constructed water harvesting points and set up mega artificial insemination centres across the three senatorial districts of the state.

He added that more than 100 solar-powered boreholes had been sunk, while feed crushers, pasture graders and other inputs were supplied to farmers to discourage nomadic grazing and reduce clashes.

Mohammed Suleiman, permanent secretary, Adamawa ministry of livestock, described the initiative as timely, noting that relations between farmers and herders in the state were gradually improving.

“In the past, the relationship between farmers and herders was hostile, but today we are seeing significant improvement. Thanks to government policies and the establishment of the Peace Commission,” Mr Suleiman said.

He added that several trainings under L-PRES had equipped communities with skills in hygiene, pasture production and other livelihood activities, thereby promoting peaceful coexistence.

Also speaking, Musa Shalangwa, a facilitator from the Department of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Adamawa State Polytechnic, said the training focused on conflict mediation, early warning and response mechanisms in farming and herding communities.

He noted that while such mechanisms had been in place before, many had weakened over time, stressing the need to reinforce them ahead of the harvest season when conflicts usually rise.

“We have representatives of farmers, herders, community leaders, security agencies, youths, women and persons with disabilities in this training because peace-building is everyone’s responsibility,” Mr Shalangwa said.

Rebecca Kwabe, president of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Adamawa chapter, who participated as trainee, said the training had broadened their understanding of conflict mediation and consultation.

“My expectation is that farmers and herders will continue to live in peace so that we can achieve our development goals.

“Women, in particular, must take responsibility in their families and communities to sustain peace in the state,” Ms Kwabe said.

More than 100 participants drawn from different communities across the state attended the training.

(NAN)