Nigeria’s farmer-herder clashes due to climate change, says Ex-Governor

Former Governor of Lagos, Babatunde Raji Fashola has linked the incessant clashes between Nigerian farmers and herders in some parts of the country, to climate change.

Nigeria has had tons of incidents between farmers and herders, resulting to killings. Many has said that the reason is because herders usually trespass the farms of farmers in order to feed their cows.

Fashola, who spoke at the recently-concluded Lagos International Climate Change Summit in Victoria Island, said the global environmental issue is creating a lack of water and feeds for herds.

He affirmed that the prediction of water shortage as a global threat is already taking place. He said “two decades ago, it was predicted that water shortage will be the newest source of conflict across the world, and some of these has already started manifesting.”

The former minister had started his speech by appreciating all public servants who he called “climate ambassadors, and environmental vanguards” for their relentless work to make sure water supply is always available in the environment.

In his words: “I must recall with nostalgia, the 29th day of March, when I stood in a hall similar to this to convene the first of this international climate change summit, that I say that 15 years or so after, it has endured and it has endured because those who came after us have kept it going, I give a commendation to the government of Akinwunmi Ambode and also Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for running with the idea.”

The summit, which began during his time as Governor, is now 10years old, and he disclosed that the idea of the inaugural summit was that Lagos state would not surrender to the ravages of nature.

He also explained that Lagos is not just a state, but a leader state when it comes to promoting the opportunities as well as fighting the challenges that come with climate change.

He added that the trees planting he oversaw, the idea of the BRT buses, school buses, and the Eko Atlantic were not experiments, but intentional paths his government followed to adapt, mitigate and innovate.

“I also then speak to the need to have agencies of the federal government such as the National Inland Water Waves Authority, refocus their attention on their statutory mandate of water wave, instead of authorizing unsustainable land reclaimation projects across the coastal states, or states like Lagos,” he mentioned.

He continued: “There is this research work that shows that out of the world’s total supply of water, you see water everywhere, and they say a very very huge part of our planet is made up of water, but out of the total major water supply, 97.5% of the water is salt water, do we know that? 97.5% of the world body of water is salt water, only 2.5% is fresh water.”

As he concluded, he recommended that the Lagos State Government should have in plans enough finance for water and energy supply.

“To you all the participants from far and near, I beseech you all to rally round the government of Babajide SanwoOlu, and his team to preserve this precious Island-City State, by building resilience around our evolution, that will be our legacy to many generations to come, and I therefore wish us all a fruitful delebration with very endearing outcomes”, he concluded.

…By Olamide Abolarin