The African Union-Inter-African Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) has reiterated its commitment to transforming pastoral mobility into a catalyst for peace, prosperity, and regional integration.
Dr. Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, made the remarks at the Continental Learning Forum on Market-Linked Transhumance Models in West Africa, held in Abuja on Monday. The forum’s theme was “Strengthening Safe, Orderly, and Market–Linked Livestock Mobility through Evidence, Cross-Regional Learning, and Investment Partnership.”
Salih was represented by Prof. Ahmed Elbeltagy, Policy Pillar Lead for African Pastoral Markets Development. He noted that stakeholder assessments have demonstrated the value of cross-regional learning and emphasized the importance of moving beyond isolated interventions toward integrated corridor-based approaches.
“Importantly, this forum has shifted the conversation from policy compliance alone to economic opportunity. Pastoral livestock mobility, when governed, supported, and linked to markets, is not a liability. It is a strategic asset for regional integration, food security, and inclusive economic growth,” he said.
Salih highlighted that one of the forum’s key outcomes was the collective progress toward the 2026–2028 Market-Linked Transhumance Roadmap. “The Regional Partnership Matrix developed here is not an endpoint, but a living instrument that must now be operationalized, monitored, and strengthened through sustained collaboration,” he added.
He explained that the forum reinforces AU-IBAR’s mandate under the African Pastoral Markets Development (APMD) Platform: to support harmonization across regions and promote evidence-based policy implementation and reform. The mandate also aims to catalyse investment ecosystems that make pastoral livestock mobility safer, more productive, and more resilient in the face of climate, security, and market pressures.
Baschirou Demsa, a livestock expert from Cameroon, noted that livestock contributes significantly to the GDP of African countries but receives limited investment. He emphasized that pastoralism is inherently cross-border, requiring a holistic, ecosystem-based approach from West to East and Central Africa.
“This approach seeks to address security, disease, and climate challenges affecting pastoralists,” Demsa said.
Dr. Jimmy JohnMark, Programme Officer for Livestock Development, Pastoralism, and Transhumance at ECOWAS, highlighted the organization’s plans to develop markets in border regions. He noted that ECOWAS is deploying artificial intelligence to gather data on pastoral mobility and livestock, aiming to enhance market development and policy planning.
