A Professor of Strategy and Development at the Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) has chided the Nigerian elites and government for not listening to Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, when the governor proposed restrictions to grazing in Nigeria.

The Don made the call during a zoom conference held on this Monday and hosted by the Cambridge African Roundtable.

According to Prof Kila, “a major problem with African political leaders and elites is their disregard for commonsensical and logical ideas”. There seems to be a tendency, even among the seemingly enlightened personalities to align with partisan and sectional positions rather than look at merit and depth.

Citing the case of Nigeria, Kila explained that Nigeria is today plagued by a situation that but has gone from bad to worse but that could have been averted if someone had listened to five years ago, in 2016, to Aminu Tambuwal when the governor proposed to the Federal Government of Nigeria to establish grazing reserves for Fulani herdsmen only in the North.

“Aminu Tambuwal who is a northerner from Sokoto had the courage and clarity of mind to propose that herdsmen from Sokoto should rear their cattle in Sokoto and that by having a grazing reserve in Sokoto State for instance, all herdsmen and herds farmers in Sokoto can graze within Sokoto State environment without moving their herds out.

Kila noted that sadly that call fell on the deaf ears of the Federal Government of Nigeria, other part of government and amazingly, even the elites and civil society at large seems to have missed the call. Not heeding such call has costed and is costing lives, property and avoidable conflict in Nigeria.

The consequence of that is that in 2021, we are now discovering what was said five years ago.

Prof Kila called on Nigerian and African leaders, elites and citizens to wake from what he called a dangerous and destructive slumber and stand up to identify good ideas when proposed and to learn to force those who can to implement such ideas.