National process for setting up transhumance committees in Niger

As part of the national operationalization process of the National Transhumance Committee (CNT), the Réseau des Organisations des Pasteurs et Éleveurs du Niger (ROPEN-Maroobé), the legal national structure of the Réseau Billital Maroobé (RBM) in Niger, has been committed to the process of setting up Regional Transhumance Committees (CRT) since 2016.

This pastoral organization, very active in civil society in Niger, worked in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to achieve the establishment of the CNT on 16 January 2020, a historic result that will undoubtedly contribute to reducing the growing number of conflicts linked to transboundary transhumance in the Sahel.

The Regional Transhumance Committees (CRT), created by governor decrees, are the emanations and legal representations of the CNT (according to the provisions of the decree). To date, CRTs have been created, installed and trained in the seven regions of Niger: Tillabéry, Tahoua, Zinder, Dosso, Diffa, Maradi and Agadez, thanks to the steady commitment of ROPEN-Maroobé.

The creation and capacity building of these CRTs was inspired by the principles and recommendations of the Voluntary Guidelines for Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT), in particular in relation to the multi-stakeholder composition of the committee (administrative officials, traditional chiefs, local authorities, pastoral organizations and women's associations). The tools made available to them during the training were also prepared using the VGGT and FAO technical guides. In particular, the technical on Improving the governance of pastoral land was adapted to the Niger context in the form of a document in pictures entitled Guide to improving the governance of pastoral land tenure in Niger. It was developed by ROPEN with the support of FAO.

These tools, which support the capacity building workshops for CRT members, are training modules designed to provide an understanding of the fundamental principles of the VGGT and their integration in various initiatives aimed at improving the governance of pastoral areas and the prevention of conflicts.

In order to ensure the sustainability of its activities, ROPEN has diversified its partners and is currently working in collaboration with FAO and, in conjunction with the Sahel Pastoralism Support Project (PRAPS- NE), financed by the World Bank.

Niger’s experience with the setting up of transhumance committees will be shared with other countries in the sub-region. In this view, an exchange mission to Jigawa in Nigeria is envisaged. Its final objective will be to create a framework for concerted action, bringing together the authorities and pastoral civil society on both sides of the Niger-Nigerian border, and thereby contribute to the establishment of a peaceful transboundary transhumance.