Nomadic Fulanis in the nation’s capital have been trained on the cultivation and management of alfalfa plants, so as to encourage the culture of ranching amongst them while also addressing the long standing issues of farmers herders clashes.
The secretary for Education, FCT Education Secretariat, Sani El-Katuzu, is optimistic that the initiative will not only economically empower the nomads, but will also promote healthy living in their various settlements.
El-Katuzu stated this at the flag off of capacity building training on cultivation and management of alfalfa plant organised for facilitators of Nomadic Adult Literacy Centres by FCT department of mass education.
The secretary, who was represented by director of Administration and Finance of the secretariat, Abdulrasaq Leramoh, said the administration was committed to promote viable skills acquisition programmes in all the nomadic adult literacy centres across the six area councils of the FCT.
He said administration was committed to promote nomadic education through economically viable skills acquisition programmes.
According to him, “the cultivation and production of alfalfa feed for cattle in various settlements will afford the herdsmen the opportunity of growing their cattle feed by themselves thereby entrenching the implementation and development of ranching policy in the FCT.
“This training is packaged to put an end to issue of control of land resource, it will significantly reduce farmers/herdsmen clashes, economically empower the Fulani herdsmen and help to achieve the much desired peace between the farmers and herdsmen.”
Earlier in her welcome address, the director, FCT Department of Mass Education, Hajia Hajarat Alayande, said the alfalfa cultivation will profitably expose the herdsmen to engage in production of feed for their cattle and discourage open grazing in the FCT.