growth of crops. On the other hand, a herdsman is one who lives a nomadic life,
caring for animals (cattle) in places where these animals wander pasture lands. In the
Nigerian context, herdsmen are mostly associated with the Fulani ethnic group.
Therefore, they are referred to as Fulani Herdsmen.
Another critical term to be considered is land degradation neutrality. This
according to UNCCD COP 12 is “a state whereby the amount and quality of land
resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions and services, and enhance food
security, remain stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales and
ecosystems”.
10 However, it is conceived in this chapter as agricultural and other uses
of land including restoration of degraded natural and semi-natural ecosystems that
provide vital, direct and indirect means of livelihood to people and working landscapes without compromising its present and future quality. The general principles,
aims, objectives and structure of acceptable soil governance are contained in the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which Nigeria and
many African countries are signatories.
Notably, governance of the soil tends to attract more concern in recent times as
nations and international bodies discuss it at various meetings and conferences.
Nevertheless, it has not yielded the desired result where policy-makers would
streamline it separately like the climate change scenario. In fact, legal or policy
issues on soil are currently dealt with or embedded in the UNCCD and other related
documents (instruments). However, this is an acknowledgment of the significant role
played by soil in the affairs of humanity. Conspicuously, it is quite impossible to
tackle environmental issues such as biodiversity, climate change, etc. without a
response to soil sustainability. According to Ben Boer and Ian Hannam, “While
biodiversity loss and climate change have garnered close attention, issues of land
degradation and sustainability of soil has attracted less focus in international forums
and by national governments.”
11
Nevertheless, soil governance seems to be more focused on agricultural perspective due to the increased awareness attached to the potential risks and the concern
that food insecurity poses to most regions of the world. Nigeria is a member of the
Global Soil Partnership (GSP) by virtue of its membership of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO and its members initiated GSP with a view to
improving governance of the limited soil resources of the planet, in order to
guarantee healthy and productive soils for a food-secured world, as well as
supporting other essential ecosystem services.
This said, it is safe to opine that soil governance, in the context of this chapter,
refers to the laws, policies, strategies, and other processes of decision-making
employed by the Nigerian State or Government regarding the use of soil,
12 developed with the active participation of the citizenry that includes restoration or
remediation of degraded soils, capable of holding violators accountable, and afford
10 UNCCD COP 12 (2018), p. 10.
11 Boer and Hannam (2015).
12 Junge et al. (2010).
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B. B. Orubebe
caring for animals (cattle) in places where these animals wander pasture lands. In the
Nigerian context, herdsmen are mostly associated with the Fulani ethnic group.
Therefore, they are referred to as Fulani Herdsmen.
Another critical term to be considered is land degradation neutrality. This
according to UNCCD COP 12 is “a state whereby the amount and quality of land
resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions and services, and enhance food
security, remain stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales and
ecosystems”.
10 However, it is conceived in this chapter as agricultural and other uses
of land including restoration of degraded natural and semi-natural ecosystems that
provide vital, direct and indirect means of livelihood to people and working landscapes without compromising its present and future quality. The general principles,
aims, objectives and structure of acceptable soil governance are contained in the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which Nigeria and
many African countries are signatories.
Notably, governance of the soil tends to attract more concern in recent times as
nations and international bodies discuss it at various meetings and conferences.
Nevertheless, it has not yielded the desired result where policy-makers would
streamline it separately like the climate change scenario. In fact, legal or policy
issues on soil are currently dealt with or embedded in the UNCCD and other related
documents (instruments). However, this is an acknowledgment of the significant role
played by soil in the affairs of humanity. Conspicuously, it is quite impossible to
tackle environmental issues such as biodiversity, climate change, etc. without a
response to soil sustainability. According to Ben Boer and Ian Hannam, “While
biodiversity loss and climate change have garnered close attention, issues of land
degradation and sustainability of soil has attracted less focus in international forums
and by national governments.”
11
Nevertheless, soil governance seems to be more focused on agricultural perspective due to the increased awareness attached to the potential risks and the concern
that food insecurity poses to most regions of the world. Nigeria is a member of the
Global Soil Partnership (GSP) by virtue of its membership of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO and its members initiated GSP with a view to
improving governance of the limited soil resources of the planet, in order to
guarantee healthy and productive soils for a food-secured world, as well as
supporting other essential ecosystem services.
This said, it is safe to opine that soil governance, in the context of this chapter,
refers to the laws, policies, strategies, and other processes of decision-making
employed by the Nigerian State or Government regarding the use of soil,
12 developed with the active participation of the citizenry that includes restoration or
remediation of degraded soils, capable of holding violators accountable, and afford
10 UNCCD COP 12 (2018), p. 10.
11 Boer and Hannam (2015).
12 Junge et al. (2010).
160
B. B. Orubebe