Bush Paths as Means of Sustainability in Cattle Marketing in Crisis Situations in Mezam, 1986-2022

Abstract

Bush paths have often constituted an alternative mobility system in sustaining cattle marketing. The various bush paths have gained center stage during periods of socio-political and economic crisis. Formal road networks have traditionally been the focus of transportation and market integration policies, which in due course became hindered by economic downturns, and the protracted Anglophone crisis that exposed the vulnerability of these official corridors. This paper examines the dynamics and role of bush paths as alternative mobility methods in sustaining cattle marketing in crisis situation within Mezam. Data for this paper was collected from primary and secondary sources while presented using thematic cum chronological approaches. This article argues that bush paths functioned not merely as physical shortcuts but as adaptive measures as circumstances demanded. These pathways enabled continuity in cattle commercialization by facilitating flexible movements, reducing exposure to conflict zones, and preserving rural-urban market linkages when formal transport systems collapsed or were militarized. The findings revealed that bush paths constituted a decentralized coping mechanism that enhanced livelihood sustainability and economic survival in times of crisis. By bringing these informal networks, the study challenges state-centric infrastructure narratives and calls for policy recognition of grassroots mobility systems within crisis planning and rural development strategies.