Tinubu Tackles Herders-Farmers Crisis In South-East, Says Umahi.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration has made significant strides in addressing the long-standing herders-farmers crisis in Nigeria’s South-East region, according to the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi. Speaking to journalists in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, on Sunday evening, 8 June 2025, during a Sallah homage by the state’s Muslim community, Umahi hailed the President’s efforts as a key achievement in fostering peace and integration in the region.
Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi State, highlighted the resolution of the persistent conflict between nomadic herders and local farmers as a cornerstone of Tinubu’s legacy in the South-East. “You know when I was Governor, you talk about herdsmen problem, do you still encounter the herdsmen problem as it was? No,” he stated emphatically. “That is the one thing the President has done for South-East people. We are being gradually integrated.”
The herders-farmers crisis, rooted in competition over land and water resources, has long plagued Nigeria, particularly in the Middle Belt and southern regions, often escalating into violence with ethnic and religious undertones. In the South-East, tensions have been a relatively recent but growing concern, threatening food security and intercommunal harmony. Umahi credited Tinubu with implementing measures to curb these clashes, noting a marked reduction in incidents and a push towards national cohesion.
The minister also praised the administration’s broader commitment to inclusiveness, pointing to religious balance in federal appointments as evidence. “Christians currently hold about 62% of appointments under President Tinubu, while Muslims hold about 38%. That shows national cohesion in practice,” he explained. Umahi further lauded Tinubu’s historic gesture of leading a Nigerian delegation to the Pope’s inauguration, calling it a “symbol of genuine respect for all faiths” and a testament to improved interfaith relations.
Urging South-East residents to rally behind the President, Umahi expressed confidence in Tinubu’s leadership, predicting success in the 2027 general election. “The performances of the President must definitely see him through in 2027. We will stand with him, we will support him,” he declared. He called for unity, emphasising that Tinubu’s efforts to integrate the region and address longstanding issues like the herders-farmers crisis deserve collective backing.
As Nigeria navigates complex security and economic challenges, the reported progress in the South-East offers a glimmer of hope, with Umahi’s remarks underscoring a commitment to peace, dialogue, and national unity under Tinubu’s stewardship.
