‘We Are Not Bandits’ — Fulani Leaders Demand 30% of Agriculture Budget, Protection of 417 Reserves

According to a report by Daily Post on Monday October 26, 2026, Fulani leaders have presented fresh demands to President Bola Tinubu, calling for increased government investment in the livestock sector and urgent action to address attacks on pastoralists across Nigeria.

The demands were announced on Sunday in Abuja during an international press conference organised by the Confederation of Pastoralist NGOs (CONPA) and the Kautal Pulaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria.

The association’s General Secretary, Abdullahi Ardo, outlined three key proposals, including allocating 30 per cent of the agricultural budget to the Ministry of Livestock Development, legally recognising and protecting 417 grazing reserves nationwide, and establishing pilot ranches and fodder production facilities across all six geopolitical zones.

Ardo commended Tinubu for establishing the Ministry of Livestock Development in 2024 following six decades of agitation for a dedicated ministry. However, he expressed concern that the institution remained largely underfunded and lacked a clear operational framework.

“Livestock is a N30 trillion economy. It cannot be treated with levity,” he said.

The Fulani leaders also called for investigations into alleged killings of pastoralists in Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states. They claimed that hundreds of people, including women and children, had been killed, while cattle were stolen and rugas, or pastoral settlements, were destroyed by fire.

“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 declared.

The group further urged the Federal Government to convene a national dialogue involving Miyetti Allah, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and security agencies.

According to the leaders, the proposed dialogue would help address the persistent farmer-herder conflict, which they said had claimed more than 20,000 lives over the past decade.

They maintained that greater investment in livestock development, alongside dialogue and security measures, was necessary to address pastoralists’ concerns and tackle the longstanding crisis.

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