Fulani leaders have issued new policy demands to President Bola Tinubu concerning Nigeria’s ₦30 trillion livestock economy.
Leadership from the Confederation of Pastoralist NGOs (CONPA) and the Kautal Pulaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria presented their positions during an international news conference on Sunday in Abuja.
Abdullahi Ardo, General Secretary of the association, outlined their three core demands:
“30% of agric budget should go to Ministry of Livestock Development.
“Gazette and protect 417 grazing reserves across Nigeria.
“Pilot ranches and fodder production in all 6 geopolitical zones.’
Ardo praised Tinubu for establishing the Ministry of Livestock Development in 2024 following six decades of advocacy, but noted that the ministry still lacks a clear operational framework and suffers from severe underfunding.
The Fulani leaders also demanded a formal investigation into the killings of pastoralists across Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states, asserting that attackers slaughtered hundreds of people—including women and children—stole livestock, and burned entire Ruga settlements.
“We are Nigerians. We are pastoralists. We are not bandits. We love this country. Our cattle feed this nation. Criminals are criminals and have no tribe,” Ardo said.
To resolve the long-running farmer-herder conflict that has claimed over 20,000 lives over the past decade, they called for a comprehensive national dialogue involving Miyetti Allah, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), and state security agencies.
Backstory…
The demands by Fulani pastoralist leaders come amid growing controversy over the association of the Fulani ethnic group with banditry, kidnapping and terrorism, as Nigeria continues to grapple with armed violence, cattle rustling and deadly farmer-herder conflicts.
In February 2026, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) rejected allegations linking the organisation to terrorism and mass atrocities after US lawmakers introduced a bill seeking sanctions against certain Nigerian individuals and groups over alleged religious freedom violations
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