Niger State to Register Incoming Herders with New Permit System

The Niger State Government has announced that herders coming into the state must now get an official permit. This is part of efforts to boost security and control the movement of livestock.

The Commissioner for Nomadic and Pastoral Affairs, Umar Rabe, shared this news at the New Niger Quarterly Media Briefing on Government Performance and Citizens Engagement Forum. He made the statement available to journalists.

Rabe explained that this policy aims to identify real pastoralists and stop criminals from pretending to be herders. He said the government wants to keep track of herders entering the state, especially those coming from border local government areas in nearby states.

He said, "Pastoralists entering Niger State must obtain official permission from the state government. Anyone who fails to do so risks being regarded as a cattle rustler."

According to him, this initiative is part of larger efforts to end years of insecurity. This insecurity has kept many farmers from accessing their farms and has led to food shortages in some areas of the state.

Rabe noted that before the Ministry of Nomadic and Pastoral Affairs was set up on August 23, 2022, the government did not have accurate records of herders in the state. This made it hard to plan and monitor security effectively.

“With the political will of Governor Mohammed Bago, we now have detailed information on the leadership of pastoralist groups in Niger State. We know them by the associations they belong to and their respective chairmen in various localities,” he said.

He added that the government plans to create a detailed database over the next three years. This will include information about herders, the number of livestock they have, and where they are located in the state.

Rabe said this profiling will also help the government provide basic social services to pastoral communities.

“Once we have this information, we will be able to identify where they are and provide them with essential social amenities such as potable water and other basic services,” he said.

He mentioned that the state has also started empowerment programs for women and youths in pastoral areas. The government is also working on new strategies to reduce conflicts between herders and farmers.

The Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman, also spoke at the briefing. He was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun. Elleman said the rising number of herders in Niger State is due to insecurity in neighboring states.

He stated that while the Constitution allows every Nigerian to move freely, security agencies will work with the state government to profile incoming herders. This is to stop criminals from abusing this right.

He said law-abiding herders fleeing from insecurity elsewhere will continue to receive protection. But those with bad intentions will not be allowed to threaten public safety.

This new measure is part of ongoing efforts by the Niger State Government and security agencies to tackle insecurity. This includes banditry and cattle rustling. On May 17, 2026, the Niger State Police Command reported recovering 67 rustled cattle during a joint security operation in Munya Local Government Area. They also arrested some suspects in different operations across the state.

These actions follow military offensives against armed groups in Shiroro and other affected local government areas in recent months.