Radio Zamanu International will address insecurity in Nigeria by reducing herders-farmers clashes, educate and enlighten nomads and ensure their integration into the society, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) has said.
Nigeria has been ravaged by various forms of insecurity ranging from terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, farmers-herders clashes and cattle rustling among others, with lack of education and exclusion of nomads largely blamed for the spate of insecurity.
Professor Bashir Usman, however said the radio station will educate the nomads and integrate them fully into the society.
This is just as the Kaduna zonal director of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Malam Buhari Awwalu, said no amount of military bullets and bombs, without education and integration of the nomads, can end the security challenges, especially banditry bedeviling Nigeria.
He identified failure of the Fulani nomads as being responsible for the current challenge of banditry.
Addressing the opening of a 5-Day Training Workshop for Staff of National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) on Radio Production for the take-off of Radio Zamanu International in Zaria Monday, Professor Usman, who was represented by director, Quality Assurance, Mr. Akin Akinyosoye, said prevalence of out of school children in Nigeria, among the nomadic groups calls for multifaceted approach.
Considering the rising insecurity and incessant clashes between the herders and crop farmers, he said the commission intends to use Radio Zamanu International to promote peace between herders and crop farmers, starting from Gombe, Kano, Oyo and Plateau states.
“We shall use the radio to vigorously campaign for improved enrollment, retention, transition and progression of nomadic children in their educational careers through various strategies of radio programming.”
The FRCN zonal director, who was represented by General Manager, Karama Radio, Kaduna, Malam AbdulRahman Nuhu Bayero, called for improved funding and equipping for the commission, to enable it properly educate the nomads and end banditry.
“Nomadic education is key to peace of this country. We need education to survive. If this commission is properly equipped to handle the education of nomads, we will not be facing the spate of insecurity we are facing today.
“We need to educate our nomads and the less privileged in the society and also provide them with source of livelihood, so that their life will continue to develop. Bullets and bombs will not solve the problems of insecurity. There is need for the federal government and international agencies to look inward and find ways of proper funding and strengthening of the commission to achieve peace, security and stability in the country,” the FRCN boss said.
