Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Suleiman Ahmad, I was born in 1995, and I am 27 years old. I am married to two wives and six children, five boys and one girl.

How long have you lived in the Paikon Koré grazing reserve?:

I moved to Paiko with my family 10 years ago, after the reserve was established by the government.

What was life like for you before you started working for Câm?

Before becoming a ranger, I used to herd my cattle and supply milk to the general market. I own 25 cows, but due to the change in weather, they have migrated to Ondo state where my brother helps me take care of them. I visit them regularly. I have friends here in Abuja who own more than 50 cows. We all sell raw milk at the general market. Sometimes, we can go up to three days without sales. When days like that happen, I go to sell some of my cattle so I can provide for my family. In 2017, I opened a small shop in Paikon Koré where I sell provisions to the community.

When you started as a Câm Ranger, you earned a fixed salary. We switched to a new entrepreneurship-led model this year where you have become an independent contractor and earn a commission per litre supplied. Which do you prefer and why?

I personally prefer the way we are working now. If we don’t work, we don’t sell. Now, my earnings are based on the quantity I supply. This allows me to earn more than a fixed salary. I have my own collection point where the pastoralists bring milk to me. They all know me so it is easy to convince them to do so. I can load up to three 50-litre churns on my bike. From there, I supply to Câm’s milk aggregation centre. In a day, I can supply up to 130 litres of milk. Sadly, because of the changes in weather affecting milk collection and our ability to feed the cows, supply has dropped to about 100 litres. When the cattle return in the rainy season, I expect to collect higher quantities of milk from my pastoralists. 

Tell us about the loan that was provided by Câm.

Yes, Câm provided us with a loan that we used to acquire a bike and other tools for the job. Purchasing the bike has really helped me with transportation, I can freely move around and do more aside from milk collection.

What do you do with your earnings from our partnership?

Since I resumed supplying to Câm as an independent contractor, I have earned over ₦100,000 per month – way more than I would earn sitting in the market to sell. I am really happy about this because I can now pay my children’s school fees. I also buy food and take care of my family.

How has Câm impacted your life?

What I earn from Câm is enough to help me take care of my family. I don’t have to sell my cattle or do too much to earn. This gives me more time to spend with my family. In the future, I want to own a house and promote my business. I hope that one day, my children will continue the family business seeing as my cattle are their inheritance. I also pray that all my children, especially my daughter, will have a sound education.

What more can we do to help you and what are your expectations for 2023?

I need Câm to continue consistent milk collection. The more they collect from us the more we earn and grow. We also need help in providing quality feed for our cattle. We struggle with feeding them well during the dry season. For next year, I hope that Câm will set up a cooling centre in Paiko to allow us to store our milk and prevent future losses.

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