The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, on Friday met with the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on the challenges confronting herdsmen in the country
In his address at the meeting held in Abuja, the Sultan expressed concern that many Nigerians have continued to associate Fulani herdsmen with crimes in the country.
He added that not all the crimes committed in the country were perpetrated by the herdsmen.
He urged the leadership of MACBAN to find a workable solution to security and socio-economic challenges faced by members of the association and urged them to shun any act that would tarnish their reputations.
The National Secretary of the association, Baba Ngelzarma, urged the Federal Government to come up with social support programmes for herdsmen and train them in other skills in addition to cattle rearing.
He said: “Even the cattle rearing are they getting money? Their cattle are not competing with the ones you have in other parts of the world that weigh 700 to 800 kilograms.
“The milk output is also not competing with the ones we have in other parts of the world where one single cow gives an output of 50 litres per day.
“We still hold the outdated species of cow that are weighing between 100 and 120 kilograms and given out an output of milk that is not more than three to five litres per day.”
