THE Gombe State Government’s recent bold decision to prohibit herders from entering the state until January 2026 is far more than a simple, seasonal directive. It is a courageous, common-sense policy that directly tackles one of Nigeria’s most persistent and devastating challenges: the recurring, often bloody, clashes between farmers and herders. This singular action demonstrates genuine leadership and provides a vital blueprint for other states to follow.
For far too long, these conflicts have ravaged rural communities, completely destroyed livelihoods, and significantly set back food production across the entire North. All too frequently, governments have treated these incidents as merely an unfortunate, albeit inevitable, side effect of rural life. Yet, there is nothing inevitable about this tragic cycle.
The pattern is painfully familiar, cattle stray onto cultivated land, particularly during the crucial harvest period, tempers flare, lives are lost, and whole communities are left permanently traumatised. Gombe, however, has decisively shown that this grim cycle can be broken through a combination of foresight and political resolve.
The ban, officially announced by the Farmers/Herders Prevention and Settlement of Disputes Committee under the chairmanship of Dr Barnabas M. Malle, should not be misconstrued as an act of hostility towards herders. On the contrary, it is a deliberate, tactical effort to preserve the peace during the most sensitive time of the agricultural year. By temporarily keeping herders out until the New Year, when crops will have been safely gathered, Gombe has prioritised prevention over reaction. This is the very definition of responsible, proactive governance.
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya deserves considerable credit for wholeheartedly backing this essential initiative. Equally commendable is the Committee’s incredibly wide-ranging approach. Their strategy extends beyond a simple entry ban to include measures such as restricting inter-local government movements of herders, rigorously enforcing night grazing bans, outlawing the premature sale of crop residues (which often attracts herders prematurely), and strictly regulating harvesting hours. These detailed measures directly target the specific flashpoints that typically ignite conflict, demonstrating a deep understanding of the problem’s mechanics.
However, this must not be allowed to end as a mere one-off seasonal measure. Gombe must seize this momentum and build upon this robust foundation by taking the next logical and vital step of permanently settling herders in designated grazing reserves. These reserves must be properly equipped with modern veterinary support, reliable water access, and functional market facilities.
The era of unregulated, open grazing is demonstrably over. It is no longer environmentally, socially, or economically sustainable in a densely populated, climate-challenged nation like Nigeria. Without a genuine commitment to permanent settlement, temporary bans will only serve to postpone conflict, rather than truly end it.
The broader, and arguably more crucial, lesson here is for the rest of the northern states. They can no longer afford to claim helplessness or hide behind threadbare excuses. If Gombe, with its particular set of challenges, can demonstrate the political will to act, then so too others. Each year, the collective inaction of state governments results in the needless loss of thousands of lives and the destruction of billions of naira worth of essential farm produce. Leaders who fail to urgently adopt similar measures must share the moral responsibility for this entirely avoidable carnage.
It is also absolutely vital that these groundbreaking policies are implemented and enforced without fear or favour. All too often in Nigeria, well-intentioned laws and directives collapse under the weight of weak enforcement, lack of political backbone, or outright political interference. If Gombe is to truly succeed and provide a lasting example, it will be because traditional rulers, local government chairmen, security agencies, and community leaders all rise above narrow, self-serving interests and enforce the new rules fairly and consistently.
Furthermore, dialogue must remain central to the overall strategy. Both farmers and herders must clearly understand that these measures are fundamentally protective, not punitive—they are meticulously designed to safeguard everyone’s livelihoods and foster the essential conditions for peaceful coexistence. Open and honest communication is the crucial element that builds trust, and it is trust, ultimately, that sustainably reduces conflict.
Finally, the Federal Government has a significant, coordinating role to play. While states like Gombe are admirably showing initiative, Abuja must provide crucial support through targeted funding, clear policy frameworks, and effective inter-state coordination. Without this, one state’s significant gains could be swiftly undermined by the neighbouring state’s inaction or policy vacuum.
What Gombe has managed to achieve is both simple and profoundly effective. It has bravely chosen to act decisively where others remain seemingly paralysed by fear or political inertia. It has offered a tangible, working model that unequivocally proves that lasting peace is possible when state leaders demonstrate genuine courage and conviction.
The pressing question now facing the rest of the North is not if they should act, but whether they will choose to emulate this exemplary model or continue down the tired, discredited path of simply issuing condolence statements and presiding over mass burials.
History will not forgive inaction. The citizens of Nigeria have endured more than enough of these so-called “clashes,” which are, in reality, nothing more than entirely preventable tragedies. By acting now, state governments can secure both the lives of their people and the future of the nation’s food security. By choosing to do nothing, they demonstrate cowardice over their fundamental responsibility.
Gombe State has clearly set the standard. Silence is complicity, and delay is deadly.
- Leman is a former National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).