The Ruga policy () is a Nigerian policy intended to reduce

herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria Herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria are a series of disputes over land resources across Nigeria between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and mostly Christian non-Fulani farmers. They have been especially prominent in the Middle Belt (North Central) s ...

. Introduced by the

Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015. Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 Au ...

Muhammad Presidency, it is aimed at resolving the conflict between nomadic

Fulani herdsmen Fulani herdsmen or Fulani pastoralists are nomadic or semi-nomadic Fulani people whose primary occupation is raising livestock. The Fulani herdsmen are largely located in the Sahel and semi-arid parts of West Africa, but due to relatively recen ...

and sedentary farmers. The policy, which is currently suspended, would "create reserved communities where herders will live, grow and tend their cattle, produce milk and undertake other activities associated with the cattle business without having to move around in search of grazing land for their cows."

Etymology

Ruga (or Rugga) Fulani word for human settlement, and can also be interpreted as the acronym of "rural grazing area"...

History

The policy was developed by the National Livestock Transformation Plan under the Nigeria Economy Council to curb the conflict between farmers and fulani herdsmen.

Criticism

The Government of Nigeria, under the former General

Olusegun Obasanjo Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, , ( ; yo, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its pres ...

(Yoruba) and his deputy, Brigadier Shehu Yaradua (Fulani), who conceived the policy, and current president

Muhammad Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015. Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 Au ...

, who also is Fulani, attempted to implement the policy. Southerners, believed the policy was designed to benefit the Fulanis. So southerners and some religious bodies kicked against Ruga policy; except of course the government and most Northerners who have borne the brunt of the incessant conflicts. Benue State, which has had a lot of violence between herdsmen and farmers, aligned with its southern counterparts on this issue, notwithstanding that the state is situated along the Middle Belt axis, where its sister states have joined the North to beckon to Ruga. But the Nigerian Government made the policy permanent, to end the incessant conflict killings of farmers and herdsmen in local communities where Fulani herdsmen take their cattle to graze. The suspension came on a day the

Arewa Arewa or Arewaland is a Hausa word which means "The North". The term is used to refer to Northern Nigeria general. The terms ' (literally "north") and ' (literally "Northern Nigeria") are used in Hausa to refer to the historic region geopolitically ...

youths, under the aegis of Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, gave southern leaders 30 days to accept the Ruga Project in peace, and a 30-day ultimatum to President Buhari to implement the programme.

References

{{reflist Muhammadu Buhari Conflicts in Nigeria Public policy in Africa Politics of Nigeria

Etymology

History

Criticism

See also

References