VOA新闻杂志2024--Nigerian Herders Bring Cows to City in Search of Grass

Angry drivers honk¹ as cattle slowly march across and feed on the grass in the middle of the streets. It is a common sight for drivers in Nigeria's capital city Abuja. For the young herder guiding them, Ismail Abubakar, it is just another day.

Abubakar did not choose to bring his cattle to the city center. His family is from Katsina State in northern Nigeria, where a changing climate turned grazing² lands into a desert. He moved to Idu - a rural less developed part of Abuja - many years ago. But it now has a large train station and many homes and businesses.

Herders like Abubakar usually bring their cattle to the wild countryside to graze³. But the need for housing, crop farming and climate change are taking away the land and their way of life.

To keep cattle off Abuja's streets, some suggest that herders need to start buying private land and operating like other businesses. But to do that, they would need money and government support.

Baba Ngelzarma is the president of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, a herders' support group. He said, "The herders take the cattle wherever they can find green grasses and water at least for the cows to survive, not minding whether it is the city or somebody's land."

He added that part of the problem is the lack of government support for the industry, such as water, animal care, and price control. The government announced a new ministry⁴ to support the industry in July. But it does not have a minister yet.

Fewer places to go

Nigeria is home to over 20 million cows, mostly owned by herders from the Fulani ethnic⁵ group. The country has the fourth-largest cattle population in Africa. Its dairy market is valued at $1.5 billion. But, the US International Trade Administration says imports meet about 90 percent of local demand.

It shows how poorly organized the industry is, Ngelzarma said, as cows affected⁶ by constant moving and poor diets cannot produce milk.

There are four areas surrounding Abuja that have been put aside for cattle grazing. But they are not readily⁷ available and have been taken by other crop farmers and illegal settlers, Ngelzarma added.

Without grazing land, herders set up settlements anywhere and stay for as long as they can before land owners claim it or the government builds on it.

Mohammed Abbas is a 67-year-old herder. He has repeatedly had to move over the years. Most of his current settlement in the city's Life Camp neighborhood has been taken over by a newly constructed gas station. The remaining land will soon be claimed by another owner.

Abbas said that he would have to sell all his cows to have enough money to buy land for a settlement. It means that he would have nothing left "to put on the land."

Hassan Mohammed's family now occupies a piece of land near the Idu train station. Once a large area of grassland⁸, the area has turned into housing and roadways. Despite repeated orders from the owners to leave, Mohammed said that his family would stay put, using the land as their home base while taking their cattle elsewhere each day for grazing.

"Many don't have anywhere to call home, so they just find somewhere to sleep at night with the cattle," said Mohammed. "But for us, we are not leaving except there is a new place within Abuja."

Folawiyo Daniel is an Abuja-based housing developer. He said the issue is a failure of urban planning and urged the government to bring back grazing areas in the city for herders.

Words in This Story

honk - v. of a horn: to make a loud sound

cattle - n. cows, bulls⁹, or steers¹⁰ that are kept on a farm or ranch¹¹ for meat or milk

herder - n. a person who gathers and moves (a group of animals)

graze - v. of an animal: to eat grass or other plants that are growing in a field, pasture¹², or the like

dairy - n. milk or food made from milk (such as ice cream, cheese, or yogurt)

1 honk   

n.雁叫声，汽车喇叭声

参考例句：

• Don't honk the horn indiscriminately.不要乱鸣喇叭！
• While passing another vehicle,you must honk your horn.通过另一部车时必须鸣按喇叭。

2 grazing   

n. 放牧, 牧草 动词graze的现在分词

参考例句：

• There were cows grazing beside the river. 有些牛在河边吃草。
• Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。

3 graze   

v.(牲畜)吃草；放牧；擦过(牲畜)；n.擦伤

参考例句：

• There is good grassland here for your cattle and horses to graze on.这里有很好的草地供你们放牧牛马。
• Nothing serious.Just a graze.没关系，就破了一点皮。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 readily   

adv.欣然地，容易地，很快地，立即

参考例句：

• I promise all costs will be readily returned.我保证所有的费用会迅速偿还。
• Most plastics do not readily conduct heat or electricity.大多数塑料不易传热或导电。

8 grassland   

n.牧场，草地，草原

参考例句：

• There is a reach of grassland in the distance.远处是连绵一片的草原。
• The snowstorm swept the vast expanse of grassland.暴风雪袭击了辽阔的草原。

9 bulls   

n.公牛( bull的名词复数 )；法令；力大如牛的人；（象、鲸等动物的）雄兽

参考例句：

• Riding bulls is always an exciting event at a rodeo. 骑公牛总是放牧人竞技会上激动人心的表演。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Two white bulls were sacrificed and a feast was held. 献祭了两头白牛，并举行了盛宴。 来自辞典例句

10 steers   

n.阉公牛，肉用公牛( steer的名词复数 )v.驾驶( steer的第三人称单数 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• This car steers easily. 这部车子易于驾驶。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Good fodder fleshed the steers up. 优质饲料使菜牛长肉。 来自辞典例句

11 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

12 pasture   

n.牧场，牲畜饲养

参考例句：

• This is the place where they used to pasture.这就是他们过去经常放牧的地方。
• The boy got up very early every morning to pasture cattle.这男孩每天起得很早去放牛。