Some Dimensions of Farmers\u27-Pastoralists\u27 Conflicts in the Nigerian Savanna (original) (raw)
Related papers
Some Dimensions of Farmers'-Pastoralists' Conflicts in the Nigerian Savanna
Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective, 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 1 Department of Geography, University of Lagos, Nigeria 2 Dep...
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...
Pastoralists-Farmers' Conflict in Amasiri, Afikpo North, Ebonyi State
Pastoralists-Farmers' Conflicts are current security issues in several Nigerian States. This issue has mounted tensions on the livelihood and security of the people involved. This paper employed historical methodology and thematic approach in investigating the causes and effects of pastoralist-farmers' conflict. Data for the paper were collected from secondary sources such as books, journals, newspapers, internet materials and primary sources largely from oral information. However, the paper argues that lack of stringent legislation by the government regarding the grazing rights and limitations of pastoralists has led to an increase in the spread of pastoralists-farmers' conflict in Nigeria. It is hereby suggested that a clear legislation on grazing areas and grazing rights be put in place by the government as this will go a long way in checkmating conflicts between pastoralists and farmers.
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...
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.
Nigerian Journal of Rural Sociology, 2017
The study identified causes of conflicts, settlement pattern of pastoral farmers and analyzed the influence of livelihood diversification on conflicts between pastoralists and indigenous crop farmers. Using multistage sampling procedure to select 280 respondents, data were collected by means of structured interview schedule and analyzed by frequency distribution, Pearson Correlation and one-way ANOVA. Results show that high pressure on land (WMS = 4.87) and unfavourable land tenure system (4.56) mainly caused the conflicts. Crop and pastoral farmers had an average farm size of 2.9ha and 1.7ha, respectively. Majority (75.5%) of pastoralists were engaged in crop production, while only 12.1% of crop farmers were involved in livestock rearing. Also, 57.9% and 32.9% amongst crop farmers and 14.2% and 15.0% amongst pastoral farmers were involved in trading and commercial (vehicular) transport business, respectively. Furthermore, 16.4% and 7.9% of the pastoralists lived in mud and block- w...
ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR PASTORALISTS AND FARMERS CONFLICT IN NIGERIA
Nasarawa Journal of Political Science , 2021
The frequent conflict between pastoralists and farmers in Nigeria, have continued to create daunting challenge to national development. This study examine the effect of pastoralists and farmers on the factors responsible for conflict between pastoralist and farmers in Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau States and to also ascertain the significant difference between their perceptions. Questionnaire were administered to 800 respondents of which 300 were pastoralists and 500 are farmers. However, only 500 questionnaires were retrieved of which, 200 were pastoralists and 300 are farmers. Using descriptive statistic for analysis, this study yields a response rate of 62.5%. The perceptions of pastoralists on the factors responsible for conflict includes: inadequate grazing land (75%), anti-open grazing law passed (60%), blockage of grazing routes (75%), security threat (75%), political difference (65%), discrimination 65%, struggle for water (60%), urbanization (52%) and religion factor (52.5%) constitutes the major factors of conflict whale on the perception of farmers on the factors responsible for conflict includes, encroachment (68%), insurgency in the North East (66%), religion factors (66%), mutual distrust (66%), food insecurity (66%), security threat (66%) and migration (58%) are the major factors of conflict between them and the pastoralist in Nigeria. The deduction therefore is that there is a significant difference between the perceptions of pastoralist and farmers with regards to factors responsible for conflict in Nigeria. The study concludes that addressing the blockage of grazing routes and encroachment on farm land/crops will be important for the farmers and pastoralist in Nigeria.
This paper examines the negative approach of Nomads to crop farmers in the Yakurr region of Cross River State Nigeria, through the overgrazing of farmlands, contamination of streams and the harassment of female farmers which resulted to rape causing conflict in the study area. The work observes the inevitability of conflict and the inestimable values placed on economic resource which value have directly and indirectly defined the dimensions of most conflicts involving man since immemorial. Of all resources however, land has remained an over whelming source of conflict among user and individuals at varying level of thresholds. In Nigeria, conflict between farmers and Fulani herdsmen over the use of land and agricultural produce has become a threat to peace in most part of the country, particularly in the Guinea and Savanah regions of the country due to the intensity of production activities that are propelled by increasing demand for land for various purposes. The production potential of grassland and livelihood in the arid and semi arid region is constrained by low and variable rainfall. Therefore, there is a need for grazing cattle to access pasture resources across regions in order to ensure food security for the herds. In view of this, the paper recommends that, nomadic education and the mechanism tagged local development plans be adopted by extension agencies to minimize conflict in rural areas where grazing of cattle is inevitable.
2016
This study examined the effects of farmers-pastoralists conflicts on food security in two Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kaduna state, Nigeria. Multiple stage random sampling procedure was used to select 110 respondents. Primary data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Logit regression model were employed in data analysis. In addition, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approach was used to measure food security status of the respondents. Result show that 62.5% of crop farmers and 53.3% pastoralists were within the age class of 39-59 years. Also, about 37.5% crop farmers and 40.0% of pastoralists had household size of between 10 and 15 people respectively. The results further reveal that 42.5% of the crop farmers and 26.67% of the pastoralists had between 11 and 30 years of farming experience. About 32.5% crop farmers and 30.0% of the pastoralists, representing 62.5% of respondents had no formal education respectively. Lack ...