The Federal Government (FG), on Tuesday, said it would commence the Pulaku Initiative, a large-scale resettlement programme to address the causes of clashes between farmers and herders in various flashpoints nationwide.
Pulaku also called the “Fulani code of conduct,” is an integral cultural and ethical value system specific to the Fulanis.
The programme is focused on seven states affected by farmers-herders conflicts, which include Sokoto, Kebbi, Benue, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, and Kaduna State.
The announcement comes eight months after Kashim Shettima announced plans by the Tinubu administration to unveil an initiative to address insurgency and poverty. Shettima had stressed that the security crisis in Northwest Nigeria can not be resolved by a military solution alone. Consequently, to bring peace back to the unstable area, the initiative will combine both kinetic and non-kinetic tactics.
“Unless we want to engage in an endless war of attrition, there cannot be a military solution to the crisis in the Northwest. There has to be a kinetic and non-kinetic solution,” he stated.
At Abuja’s Presidential Villa, the Pulaku Initiative’s implementation committee was officially launched, and Shettima inaugurated a steering committee to coordinate the implementation of the initiative.
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Speaking at the inauguration of the implementation committee at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Shettima stated, “The selection of these states is a deliberate and strategic approach. The aim is to set off a chain reaction that will not only bring communities back to life but also establish the foundation for a Nigeria that is more unified and inclusive.”
He said the FG would revitalise conflict-torn communities by constructing residences, roads, schools, and essential facilities.
“The aim is to create an environment where the prosperity of our people is not just a distant dream but a tangible and achievable reality.”
He also stated that the project must be seen as an emergency to tackle a challenge that has threatened the fabric of Nigeria.
“It serves as a testament to the fulfilment of the promises made by Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he concluded. #FG