Accelerating pastoralist/farmer conflict across Central Nigeria (and West Africa) potentially compromises all IITA's goals (original) (raw)

Farmers/Herders Conflict, Cattle Rustling and Banditry: A Threat to Agricultural Productivity in North Western Nigeria: A Review

This paper reviewed the sources of farmer's herder's conflict in Northwestern Nigeria. It unveiled the historical background of the cattle fulbe, the fulbe militia groups, recent changes in pastoral migration, areas of civil insecurity in Northwest, cattle rustling and banditry, security agencies responses to security issues in the north, pastoral organizations, social impacts of insecurity and ways of conflict management and resolution for sustained peaceful coexistence in Northwestern Nigeria. INTRODUCTION In Northwestern, conflicts between crop-farmers and herdsmen arise from disagreements over the use of land around farmland and/or grazing areas, and stock routes and access to water points for both animals and households. The movement of herdsmen from the far northern states of the country such as Kano, Katsina, Borno, Jigawa, Maiduguri, Bauchi, Kebbi and Zamfara and to the Benue valley is usually caused by the increasing demand for fresh grazing grounds especially during dry season periods; When the herdsmen move with their herds southwards because of the availability of pasture. In most cases, the herdsmen encountered problems with the local people, because farmers' crops are usually destroyed by their cattle (Pinga, 2018).Trouble sparked off when the Fulani herdsmen in search of grazing land destroyed people's crops like guinea corn, cassava, maize, millet and groundnut. These crops were the means of sustenance for the indigenes of the area. The Northern inhabitants were not happy with this development, they therefore retaliated by killing the herdsmen and cattle in their numbers. The herdsmen felt that their source of livelihood too is tampered with and unleashed mayhem on the indigene who were/are the original owners of the land. As a result, people fled from their homes, agricultural and other economic activities came to a halt in the rural areas where atrocities were perpetrated (Ibrahim, 2015). The researchers also observe that there was mass killing,

The Immediate and Remote Causes of Farmer Pastoralist Conflict in Southwest Nigeria

2020

Conflict is natural phenomenon common and perhaps inevitable in human environments. Moore (2005) has to agree that conflict per se, is not bad but a necessity in evolution and development of human organizations. In other words, when conflicts degenerate to be turned violent, destructive clashes, they become not only unhealthy, also counterproductive and disruptive. In the sub-Saharan Africa, resource related conflicts are responsible for over 12 percent declines in per capita food production due to conflicts between farmers and pastoralists (Nyong and Fiki, 2005). Pastoralism is defined to mean a state whereby people herd animals to sustain their livings (Bhasin, 2011). Despite various call and criticisms about pastoralism and its relevance in modern world, it remains a successful strategy to support a population where there is little access to social, cultural, physical, biological and environmental amenities (Ibid). Thus, pastoralists are people whose major source of livelihoods i...

New drivers of conflict in Nigeria: an analysis of the clashes between farmers and pastoralists

2020

In the last few years, several African countries have witnessed an increase in conflict between pastoralists and sedentary farmers and among pastoralist groups. While issues such as climate change, desertification, regional conflicts, population expansion, trafficking and terrorism have been highlighted as the reasons for the surge in violence, none of these issues fully explain the increased use of small and light weapons by several pastoralist groups and sedentary farmers. This article explores the changes in the dynamics of cattle ownership, termed neo-pastoralism, as a possible explanation for the increase in armed clashes between the groups. The article explains how traditional pastoralism is gradually giving way to neo-pastoralism, a form of pastoralism which involves larger herds and increased use of arms and ammunitions. Nigeria is used as a case study to explore these new patterns of conflict due to having the largest number of cattle in the sub-Saharan Africa region and the scale of the conflict in the country. This article is based on field research and interviews carried out in Nigeria between 2013 and 2019.

Some Dimensions of Farmers\u27-Pastoralists\u27 Conflicts in the Nigerian Savanna

2016

The savanna ecosystem covers about 48.5% of Nigeria’s land area. It is a national common for intensive cropping and extensive grazing. Fierce competition for land and water resources among the crop farmers and pastoralists is a common feature. This article shares insights from two separate, but linked, studies conducted in the Nigerian savanna on the livelihood and food security of the local peasant farming communities and the vulnerability of the settled Fulani agro-pastoralists’ livelihoods. Household interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews were employed among both the farming and agro-pastoralist communities. 191 respondents in 11 local farming communities and 201 households in 40 Fulani sub-communities (pastoral family steads locally referred to as “gaa”) were sampled in Ogun, Oyo, and Kwara States. Evidence from the studies suggests that poor resource governance arrangment is a key factor of farmer-pastoralist conflict. Both the farmers and pastoralist...

IN THE MIDDLE BELT OF NIGERIA: BETWEEN FARMERS AND HERDERS RESPONSES TO CONFLICTS MAPPING PAST EFFORTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION

This policy brief is a product of the Forum on Farmer and Herder Relations in Nigeria (FFARN). FFARN is a network of academics and practitioners from governmental and non-governmental institutions who work on peace and conflict/security issues in Nigeria and who have experience responding to farmer-herder conflict at sub-national, national, and/or regional levels. FFARN provides a monthly platform for interdisciplinary exchange and joint identification of areas for additional research and practice to generate strong evidence for multilevel policy influence on farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria. The concept of this policy brief was developed at the first forum of FFARN in August 2017 and validated by members of the FFARN at the second forum on September 23, 2017. Practitioners and scholars jointly prioritized the need for an assessment of existing responses of state and non-state actors to farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria to identify past and ongoing interventions, challenges, weaknesses, and to recommend actions for the future. Members of FFARN represent academic and practitioner institutions including: Violent confrontations between farmers and herders have become a defining feature of inter-group relations among communities in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. Environmental degradation, social manipulation of ethno-religious biases, and technological advances have altered relationships that were historically interdependent and mutually beneficial. Conflicts between farmers and herders exist on a large scale, both within Nigeria and the greater Lake Chad Basin and Sudano-Sahel region; however, states within Nigeria's Middle

HERDERS AND FARMERS CONFLICT IN CENTRAL NIGERIA: A REVIEW OF CONTENDING ANTIDOTES

Kaduna Journal of Humanities, 2017

The perennial conflict between herders and farmers particularly in Central Nigeria is a vexed national question. Consequently, a number of suggestions have been put forward as possible antidotes to this lingering national security challenge. But are these suggestions potent antidotes or are there mere cosmetic proposals? This paper using an analytical template laced in a historical methodology interrogates the efficacy of these antidotes as solutions to what is clearly a complex problem with deep historical roots. The paper identifies two major prescriptive policy options contending as remedies to the problem namely, the resuscitation of grazing reserves/grazing routes and the establishment of ranches. But these options do not have an axiomatic effect in terms of workability given the widening dynamics of the conflict. This suggests that simplistic solutions will not mitigate the recurrent fratricidal conflict between herders and farming communities in the Central region and Nigeria at large. The paper concludes that critical thinking is required to evolve a strategy that takes into cognisance demographic dynamics, environmental exigencies, political sentiments as well as investment requirements. Ranching is proposed as a more promising option but its efficacy depends on the quantum of financial investments in the strategy as well as the political sentiments of the federating ethnic communities.

NOMADIC PASTORALISTS AND FARMERS CONFLICT IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CHRONIC POVERTY

JOURNAL, 2024

Access to land and fresh water for crop production and livestock production is vital for food sufficiency and agricultural development of Nigeria. In order to have access to these vital factors in agricultural production, farmers and nomadic pastoralists sometimes clash. These clashes may likely point to the limited and unavailable access to sufficient land for grazing of cattle and/or the invasion of farmlands for cattle grazing. In the course of these conflicts lives are lost, properties destroyed, people displaced, public services destroyed, fear and insecurity increased, crops destroyed, businesses ceased, hunger and poverty entrenched. The researcher adopted Frustration Aggression theory and used secondary data to discuss and analyze the study. The study revealed that what is called clash between settled farmers and Fulani herdsmen is the invasion of farming communities by Fulani nomadic pastoralists, because the wars are fought in farming communities. The farmers sustain more death, casualties and destruction than the nomads. The study recommended the abolishment of open grazing due to its consequences on man and his environment; the establishment of ranches; the establishment peace and reconciliation committee; the use of dialogue and consultation among others.

Crop Farmers and Herders Conflicts in Girei Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria: Causes, Repercussions and Resolutions

2017

The study analyzed crop farmers and herdsmen conflicts in Girei Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select two out of ten wards in the Local Government Area and 96 (crop farmers = 64, herdsmen = 32) respondents respectively. A questionnaire was used to collect information from respondents. The results from the study revealed that 62.5% of the respondents were below the age of 50 years the two groups exhibited differing occupational characteristics; most farmers (62.5%) were small-scale operators (1-3 hectares), most herdsmen (81.2%) operated on a relatively higher scale (more than 60 heads of cattle). Destruction of crops and crop residues by cattle and burning of rangelands and blockage of stock routes by crop farmers were the major causes of conflict. Repercussions of conflicts included loss of income (100.0%), loss of yield (100.0%) and stored product (64.0%) among crop farmers. Herdsmen reported minimal losses of t...

Conflict triggers between farming and pastoral communities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, 2020

Purpose This study aims to examine contemporary factors underlying farmers and pastoralists’ conflict in Nasarawa state. These two communities had rosy and symbiotic relationships which have transmogrified into sour tales of mutual suspicion, destruction, deaths and violence. Design/methodology/approach Exploratory research design was used. Data was collected using qualitative tools of data collection such as in-depth interview (IDI) and key informant (KII) guides to extract responses from farmers and pastoralists. Findings In a bid to end the conflicts between these two groups, Benue State Government enacted the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law also known as anti-open grazing law in 2018. Although the law altered the conflict landscape in Benue, it recorded trans-territorial backlashes in the neighbouring Nasarawa State where herdsmen relocated. The relocation of herders to Nasarawa State, setting up of livestock guards to check open grazing by pastoralists, r...