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In Sokoto, cattle herding has remained a popular venture and significant source of employment opportunity for the youth. Though this activity is synonymous with the Fulani ethnic group, some youths who are not Fulani are now into herding and are doing it well.
Cattle herding has continued to thrive as wealthy individuals who own cattle employ the services of herders who drive them to pasture, engage in milking of them, as well as taking care of the sick ones.
With a monthly pay of between N500 and N1,000 per cow and N400-N500 weekly for milking the cows, the herders say it is a worthwhile venture, just as they see it as exciting and challenging.
learnt that a herder could have between 100-150 cows under his control, depending on his experience and popularity among cattle owners. The over 100 cows could belong to different people.
As a herder spends more years in the business, his popularity and acceptance increase.
Every morning in parts of Sokoto, herds from different parts of the ancient city usually converge at the gathering centres for the day’s grazing journey.
The three major assemblage centres in the city include Gangare Fakun Idi, Kofar Kware and Kueppers.
At about 9am each day, the cattle are released from home by their owners for the assemblage points.
Each group of cattle has its herder who is in charge of the movement from the owner’s house to the gathering centre and then to the grazing areas.
Most times, the animals move from home to the gathering point without assistance. The owner would let them loose and they take to the usual route, sometimes crossing major streets to the points.
The cows arrive in turn at the centre and wait patiently until all are present before moving to the grazing fields.
The herders usually come much earlier to observe the arrival of the animals. As they arrive, the herders watch out for any sick one which is returned to its owner for treatment.
Meanwhile, as the herders wait patiently for the arrival of the flock, some order for food from vendors around. The herders told Daily Trust that they mostly take rice and beans which they described as cheap and filling.
”It can hold someone going into the bush for a whole day, and then you drink a lot of water,” one of them explained.
As they wait, most of their discussions centre on the animals. One of the herders named Zaki rubbed fresh dung on the forehead of a cow and when asked why, he said it was to cure some kind of rashes the cow had.
Rugga Malami Oroji, 55, has been herding cattle all his life. His parents and grandparents did same.
“It is hereditary and it was Sultan Abubakar who gave the title of Ardo to my family as the chief custodian of the royal cattle,” he revealed.
Rugga Oroji said as a small boy when he started cattle herding with his father, they charged N1-N5 per cow and that milking a cow was done free of charge, with the herder collecting a day’s milk worth as recompense.
“You milk a cow throughout a week, and then on Thursdays they are allowed to collect the whole milk as gift. Today we charge N500-1,000 per cow monthly depending on the financial capacity of the owner while milking costs N400-N500 weekly,” he revealed.
Oroji said with their daily interaction with the cattle, the animals respond to their talk, gesture or call. “I can command them not to stray or go into prohibited places and if I want them to remain calm, they listen to my warning. During the rainy season, we stay with the cattle no matter the intensity of the rain as cattle hardly move when it is raining.”
Describing a herder’s typical day, Oroji said “Herders arrive the gathering point 3 to 4 hours before takeoff time which is 12noon. At the gathering point, a herder pays attention to the arrival of the cows; which move in groups of 5-15 or the single ones from owners’ residences.”
He said they take off after all the cows had arrived and go through their regular routes to grazing points in the outskirts of the metropolis, near or across the river.
“With the help of our boys, five to six of them, we control the cattle movement throughout the hours we spend in the bush. When hungry or thirsty we look for food and water nearby and sometimes when we don’t have money, we drink fresh milk from cows, which is quite refreshing. At intervals some of us smoke cigarettes or chew kola nuts and other stimulants to keep alert. We spend about 5-6 hours before we drive the cattle back home to their respective owners. While in the town, some cows need to be escorted back home or they might stray and get lost,” he stated.
On hazards of the job, Oroji said: “It is only when an animal stray on its way to the collection point or from the grazing area into town and get lost. Some owners don’t take it easy on such occasions; they may go to police or court to make a case.”
On the alleged cases of herdsmen killing farmers and other innocent people in some parts of Nigeria, Oroji said he doesn’t believe that genuine Fulani herdsmen can kill.
At Kofar Kware collection point, 56-year-old Buban Mahe revealed that he has been herding all his life.
He said cattle from Kofar kade, Kwanni, Aliyu jedo and parts of Kueppers were under his custody and that he has some boys who assist him.
“Herding is tasking but rewarding because beside the monthly fee, you get assistance from influential cattle owners during special occasions as Sallah and naming ceremonies. They even provide us with foodstuff for our families,” he stated.
For Mahe: “I cannot trade herding for any job. It is what I have been doing and I have trained some boys who, though not Fulani, are doing very well.”
He said cattle herding is more challenging now with so many vehicles on the roads unlike in the 70s and 80s when very few vehicles plied Sokoto roads.
The herder called on government to provide additional grazing reserves so that frequent clashes between farmers and herders is minimised.
Mahe advised colleagues to ensure they remain honest and dedicated to their work just as he harped on the need for them to avoid the risk of taking sick animals for grazing.
Zaki, a non-Fulani cattle herder, who has been in the business for over 10 years, described herding as exciting and challenging.
“It prepares one mentally and physically to tackle challenges and there is a unique feeling of freedom when you are out in the bush,” he stated.
According to him, it was interest that pushed him into herding despite a lot of scolding, beating and denial from his parents.
“The time I spend with cattle in the bush is exciting because they understand our movement and language. A cow can understand your mood and that is why they respond to our commands and orders. The herder has many tricks with which to tame wild and uncooperative cattle,” he stated.
Zaki pointed out: “A good herder tries as much as possible to ensure safety of the animals put under his care. A starter can handle about 40-50 cows and manage them very well, this is because he would have had enough experience as an apprentice.”
“We know when a cow is sick and the type of sickness. We assist pregnant cows to deliver, even in the bush, without any support from veterinary doctors.”