A Public Perception Of Ruga Settlement In Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY In Nigeria the practice of preserving land for exclusive use by livestock existed prior to colonial times. Allocation of grazing grounds to pastoralists around towns and villages for use particularly during the cultivation season were socially sanctioned (Waters-Bayer and Taylor-Powell, 1986). However, since there was no legal instrument to prevent encroachment by crop farmers, such reserved areas subsequently disappeared with increasing population and cropping intensity. This phenomenon was most visible in the subhumid zone of Nigeria where…