By George Coben, Bauchi
Immediate past minister of foreign affairs under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Yusuf Tuggar, has said that on going tensions between farmers and herders are largely driven by restrictions on grazing and the growing pressure on available land resources.
Tuggar stated this in Bauchi during an interactive session with newsmen, where he bared his mind on the causes of banditry and other challenges ahead of his governorship ambition in the state.
He reportedly appealed to residents of Bauchi to stop blocking fulani herders from accessing grazing routes, linking land use disputes to rising insecurity in parts of the country.
Tuggar said the situation has been worsened by the encroachment on designated grazing areas and the underutilization of farmlands which, according to him, has created economic hardship in rural communities.
“When pastoralists are denied access to grazing routes and agricultural lands are not effectively utilized, it increases frustration that can escalate into insecurity,” he said.
The Ex-minister stressed that both farming and pastoralism remain legitimate livelihoods and must be properly managed through structured land use policies that promote coexistence.
Tuggar called for stronger collaboration among traditional rulers, local government authorities, and communities to address land-related disputes toward reducing farmer-herder tensions.
Additionally, the former minister said that tackling land use imbalance, alongside addressing unemployment and economic exclusion, would play a key role in reducing insecurity and promoting stability in Bauchi state and the country at large.
