Land tenure constraints associated with some recent experiments to bring formal education to nomadic Fulani in Nigeria

This paper is based on a series of studies conducted by the author on the settlement problems, work roles and educational experiments among nomadic Fulani in Plateau, Bauchi and Kaduna States, Nigeria, from 1982 to 1984.The first part of this paper describes the land tenure system in northern Nigeria and the way in which it affects pastoral nomads and plans for their settlement. The second part discusses the Nigerian Government;s intention to educate nomads and gives the example of special schemes which have attempted to do this. The paper concludes by stressing the importance of improving land tenure arrangements for nomadic pastoralists so as to facilitate the provision of a continuous educational programme for them.