Securing pastoralism in East and West Africa: protecting and promoting livestock mobility. Niger/Nigeria Desk Review

This is one of a series of desk reviews produced as part of the project ‘Securing Pastoralism in East and West Africa: Protecting and Promoting Livestock Mobility’.

The desk review was asked to focus on livestock mobility in Niger and examine linkages between Niger and Nigeria. This context was chosen as it offers a wealth of experience in the promotion of livestock mobility through the development of livestock corridors linking Niger’s drylands with Nigeria’s markets, grazing reserves and agricultural areas. The issues addressed include: livestock mobility as a response to seasonal and inter-annual variations in pastures and water, including drought avoidance; livestock mobility to access Nigeria’s growing urban markets and demands for livestock products; the efficacy of national and regional policy in support of pastoralism and livestock mobility in particular; and the lessons learned from developing in-country and cross-border livestock routes. The paper also looks at the work of key development and research actors involved in the promotion of livestock mobility.