Fulani’s leader urged the reopening of the Nomadic School to curb the conflict

When a deadly clash between farmers and shepherd continued to befall many parts of Nigeria, Fulani’s leaders in the nasarawa state asked the federal government to revive and reopen nomadic schools as a pathway to peace and long-term conflict resolution.

The call was carried out on Friday during the stakeholder meeting held at the Lafia, organized by the Fulbe (Fudeco) development and culture organization. The meeting, with the theme “Consolidating the Research Results of IDRC-PARC GES on Economic Empowerment of Women’s Economic Sempala in the Nasarawa State”, united the representatives of the Fulani community from 13 regional regions of the regional government in the state.

Speaking on behalf of the leaders of Fulani, the head of the state of Fudeco, Muhammad Hussaini, said that illiteracy among the shepherd communities remains a significant driver of repeated violence between the shepherd and farmers throughout the country.

“Most of the crises in the pastoralist community are rooted in ignorance,” Hussaini said. “We want the shepherd children to be educated and enlightened. This will allow them to understand the dangers of being involved in all forms of crisis in society.”

Hussaini urged the government at all levels to take brave steps in reviving nomadic education, which was once a vital bridge between traditional pastoralist lifestyles and modern civilian involvement. He stressed that education can help prevent future violence by encouraging better understanding, tolerance, and coexistence.

“We call on the government at all levels to revive and reopen the nomadic school. We see this as an eternal solution for clashes between shepherd and farmers,” he said.

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Over the years, the nomadic education center, first introduced in the 1980s, aims to provide mobile education to pastoralis children, many of them migrate seasonally with their families and livestock. But neglect over decades, poor infrastructure, and lack of funds have caused many schools to be closed, leaving gaps in access to education for one of the most vulnerable populations in Nigeria.

In rural communities such as in the nasarawa state, where Fulani herds and local agricultural communities often share the contested land, clashes of violence have increased, claim lives, displace their families, and disrupt food production. Experts and activists have repeatedly called for long -term structural interventions such as education, land reform, and inclusive dialogue.

At the Friday meeting, the participants also pondered the findings of the new research initiatives that focused on the empowerment of shepherd women, especially through economic and educational opportunities. The committee believes that giving a shepherd family, especially women and children, shares in the effort to develop peace is very important to end the cycle of violence for decades.

Hussaini stressed that the need for sustainable peace is very urgent and that education must be the center of any meaningful solution.

“Peace cannot develop in society where the entire population is lagging behind,” he said. “We want our children to grow not only as a shepherd but as a citizen who understands their rights, responsibilities, and peaceful coexistence value.”