Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria 

(sometimes also called MACBAN) is a

loose partisan advocacy group centered on promoting the welfare of Fulani

pastoralists in Nigeria. The organization was founded in the early 1970s with headquarters

in Kaduna. It became legally operational in 1979 and gained wider acceptance as an advocacy

group in 1987. MACBAN represents the interests of about 100,000 semi-nomads and nomads in

the country.

Official records of the early history of Miyetti Allah are sparse, the oral history by some

members trace it to the 1960s while others to 1972 when the association was formed in Kaduna.

The association's early members were largely dominated by settled Fulanis whose early concept

of Miyetti Allah was to promote the welfare of all Fulanis through self help. [4] In the 1970s, the

organization was led by Muhammadu Sa'adu, with membership in Kaduna and Plateau States.

Sa'adu, who was born in Jos but spent his adulthood in Kaduna, was a key figure in the

campaigns to get new members to join.

Both Kaduna and Plateau states had local branches affiliated with a local government or

community, the meetings were irregular and not all national or state level resolutions were

adhered to. But as the association expanded to more states, aims favoring nomadic education and

access of grazing reserves by cattle breeders became a common theme.

Despite the best intentions of the organization, some Fulani communities have perceived Miyetti

Allah as an ineffective government-aligned organization. As a result, some Fulani communities

have become disillusioned with Miyetti Allah and resorted to forming their own vigilante groups
THE MISION OF MIYYATI ALLAH

A major goal of MACBAN is to be the umbrella organization of Fulani herdsmen within the

country. The activities of the organization involves liaising with the government on behalf of
pastoralists, land use rights, nomadic education and conflict resolution between pastoralists and
farmers. The group also supports protecting and increasing grazing reserves for cattle breeders in
the country. However, not all pastoralists intend to stay within grazing reserves and the
organization provides information to convince grazing reserve skeptics among the nomads to buy
into the idea.[5]

As the major promoter of welfare of Fulani pastoralists, increase incidences of farmer-herder

conflicts and cattle rustling since 2011 have brought the previously little known group into wider
attention.