FARMERS-HERDERS CONFLICT IN NIGERIA: AN ANALYTICAL DISCUSSION OF THE CAUSES, EFFECTS AND SOLUTIONS

This study analytically examined farmers-herders conflict in Nigeria. The discourse was on the causes, effects and possible solutions. Some reported incidents of farmers-herders conflicts were also highlighted in the study. The violent conflicts between nomadic pastoralist and sedentary farmer communities in Nigeria cause thousands of lives and economic losses. The conflict has escalated in recent years as conflicting parties have easier access to arms and communication devices. In 2019, the Buhari-led federal government announced the implementation of Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) settlements, the latest in a line of interventions billed to put an end to the recurring conflict between nomadic herders and farmers. However, the policy did not settle the crisis as many states kicked against the policy. The study adopted ‘Scarce Resources Theory’ by Stevan E. Hobfoll in (1989) and modified by Mulder & Krahn, (2005). The study adopted desk research which relied on secondary data. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the secondary data. The discussion on the reasons for the conflict showed that use of land, armed groups, climate change, and others are behind the farmers-herders conflict. The effects of the conflict are hostility, loss of lives, and rape among other effects. The study concludes by recommending that government must immediately implement the development plans, such as creating ranches and improving grazing reserves in order to get to the roots of the problem.