By Yunusa Isa, Gombe
The Gombe State Ministry of Livestock Development has taken a decisive step toward curbing farmer-herder clashes and boosting agricultural productivity, with the Commissioner, Hon. Salihu Baba Alkali, embarking on an inspection tour of the Wawa-Zange Grazing Reserve.
Spanning 145 hectares across the Dukku and Funakaye local government areas, the facility was established by the Federal Government in 1986 to accommodate herders, enhance milk and meat production, and prevent nomadic roaming.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the tour, Baba Alkali said following years of infrastructural decay and unauthorized encroachment, the state government has stepped in to reclaim the land and restore its original purpose through joint state and federal interventions.
“When I resumed office in this new ministry, I thought on how to go about it to improve livestock in the state. You cannot achieve that when there are grudges, clashes, and misunderstandings between farmers and herders. So we decided to tour this Wawa-Zange huge grazing reserve situated within Dukku and Funakaye local government areas to ascertain its conditions and what to do next,” Hon. Baba Alkali stated.
He commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya for his foresight in creating a dedicated ministry for livestock development, emphasizing that the initiative is designed to settle herders permanently and eliminate the tragic conflicts sparked by cattle wandering across state lines.
During the extensive tour, the commissioner and his delegation inspected several critical amenities within the reserve – some established by the state government and others supported by the World Bank-backed Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project.
The team evaluated the condition of the fractured earthen dam, the milk collection center, the warehouse, a nomadic school, and a healthcare clinic that had previously suffered fire damage.
Regrettably, the commissioner noted that many of these foundational facilities have fallen into disrepair over the decades, depriving herders of optimal benefits and leaving the infrastructure vulnerable to neglect.
Addressing the issue of illegal farming activities within the protected boundaries, Hon. Baba Alkali issued a firm warning to encroachers, noting that the state has revoked all unauthorized agricultural lands within the reserve. “We shall not fold our arms and watch the reserve being turned into something else; we must revive it to its intended purpose for the peace and benefit of our people,” he asserted.
He further urged the pastoralist community to treat the provided amenities as their own collective heritage, charging them to protect the public infrastructure against vandalism so that both current and future generations can thrive.
Rounding off the inspection, the commissioner expressed optimism that the findings would prompt immediate administrative action from Governor Yahaya.
He also lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for establishing a federal ministry dedicated to livestock development, anticipating that the upcoming visit of the federal minister will unlock vital federal partnerships and interventions.
Accompanied by top government officials, including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Builder Ahmad Sa’id Guli, and the Director of Livestock Services, Yusuf Mahadi, Hon. Baba Alkali reaffirmed the administration’s unwavering commitment to transforming Gombe’s livestock sector into a beacon of peace and economic growth.