…A Proof Of The Superiority And Sustainability Of Pastoralists Knowledge…
…Despite contributing massively to the GDP of African countries in addition to providing the meat and dairy needs to these countries, pastoralists are marginalised, are not involved in decision-making – Prof Adesogan
The founder and national chairman, Fulbe Development and Culture Organization, FUDECO Prof SS Nana articulated the intuitiveness, ingenuity, superiority and sustainability of the pastoralists when if keyed into, the challenges associated with inefficient and ineffective leadership, the economic turmoil associated with monetary scarcity and management of harnessed natural resources would have been addressed, given a lasting solution.
However, the suppressed, subjugated, exploited, oppressed, bamboozled, marginalised, ignored and near abandoned are given a bad name like to the dog to hang; the proverbial prey demonised to predator to annihilate when the group would have required the necessary formal education, enabling environment for their vocation and how to get to improve it to be in tune with the modern time. When actualised, the government would have benefited more than the petroleum sector.
Prof Nana made the revelation at an Africa-wide conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya from 31st January to 2nd February, 2023, being organised by the University of Florida with support from BMG Foundation. It is Pastoralists convention with the theme: UNLEASHING THE POWER OF INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS FOR THE PASTORAL SECTOR.
Given a background, Nana would philosophise that: “THERE IS FUEL SCARCITY ALL OVER NIGERIA VERY OFTEN. THERE IS EVEN NAIRA SCARCITY BUT PASTORALISTS SUPPLY ENOUGH MEAT AND MILK TO NIGERIANS UNINTERRUPTED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS
“THERE HAS NEVER BEEN MEAT SCARCITY, WITHOUT ANY FORM OF INVESTMENT, SECURITY OR SUPPORT – A PROOF OF THE SUPERIORITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF PASTORALISTS KNOWLEDGE.
“ALL WE NEED IS TO INTEGRATE INNOVATIONS INTO OUR TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
“YOU CANNOT DISMANTLE WHAT IS WORKING FOR A FAILED KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS.”
The aim of the convention, the conveners would reveal, is to conveniently bring together pastoralist leaders, investors, grant makers and researchers together to discuss the challenges associated with pastoralism, to come up with sustainable solutions and action plans.
In his opening remarks, Adegbola Adesogan, an erudite Professor of Ruminant Nutrition and Executive Vice President at Florida University pointed out that despite contributing massively to the GDP of African countries in addition to providing the meat and dairy needs to these countries, pastoralists are marginalised and are not involved in decision-making – hence the failure of imposed livestock development projects.
Adesogan called on investors and decision makers to integrate pastoralists at all levels so as to develop the sector and create sustainable market linkages.
It is the first time investors, grant makers and academics are brought together with strong pastoralists voices in one room to discuss development in the sector.
The conference comprised panel discussions, workshops and presentations. The panels included transforming pastoralism through technological innovations, private sector opportunities, climate change perspectives, policy roundtable, data driven decision-making and gender perspectives among others.
One of the key highlights of the conference was the presentation of the extraordinarily successful meat export by a representative of the meat exporters of Namibia.
The University of Florida is a very prominent 170 years old land-grant public research university with a population of nearly 60,000 students, an annual budget of 6 billion dollars and over 13,000 staff.