Highways, Cattle and Our Collective Guilt

Many of our highways in the North were cattle routes before their construction in the early 20th century based on the principle that the foot follows the shortest path. Cattle from as far away as Chad were transported on those routes right until the 1970s when Nigeria became rich and could afford trucks. Each station of their rest was called Zangon Shanu, or simply Zango.

Despite being overtaken by motor traffic, there is still a 15m recess after the drainage on each side of the highways left by the wise white man which is there even today as a safety buffer and can be utilized for animal movement especially where crops have overtaken stock routes or made them inaccessible. We met them so utilized in the 1960s.

Today, nowhere is this exemplified better than in Kano and Jigawa States. In the latter, Governor Sule Lamido revived the recess for animal traffic by clearing it and ensuring that no farmer was allowed to encroach it. This was an ingenious way of solving part of the perennial problem of cattle encroachment into farms that block their usual routes. I have never regretted naming Governor Lamido my Governor of the Year in 2008.

In Kano State, the best utilization of the highway recess by animals can be seen in the picture along Falgore-Kwanan Dangora Road.

On both sides of the road are farms that extend as far as the eyes can see. So instead of enacting a law allowing only the transportation of animals in vehicles, successive governors of Kano State maintained the recess by making sure that farmers are not allowed to encroach it. As the cattle migrate out of the Falgore Forest Reserve this time every year, cattle can be seen comfortably walking the recess without any encroaching into the nearby farms. I could not resist catching a shot of their breathtaking movement along the road this noon after Tudunwadan Dankade. (Picture)

In some states, including my state, farmers have invaded every inch of the road, except the mid-road and the shoulder - where it exists. Rice is planted right there in the side drainage - a violation hitherto known only in Eastern Nigeria - and in many places planting guinea corn on the laterite surface between the drainage and the shoulder is gaining momentum.

These activities weaken the base of the road by eroding the laterite surface and making the spots waterlogged. Not a whimper comes from the local authorities, government or traditional. Not even from elders like yours truly. FMOW and FERMA are just watching us.

In the East, the laterite of the shoulder is excavated and used for building. I saw this on a PTF trip in 1996. Where are the authorities? In their absence, where is our conscience? In its absence, where is our common sense? And we complain of bad roads. Let us do our civic part and task the government in its. Let us wake up.

If... if only governments and we the people would allow the plans of our founding fathers to work, there would have been no room left for the present acrimony and bloodshed.

We will revisit this in detail later, isA. Meanwhile, let me enjoy my trip to my second country. As the cows enjoy the recess, let me also enjoy my break. Stay safe.

Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde
22 November 2017