Farmers-Pastoralists Conflict In Nigeria: Root Causes, Patterns And Solutions

Plural societies seem to be more prone to conflict than homogenous societies as a result of differences in socio-cultural cleavages, economic and political interests. In Nigeria for instance, conflict has become a widespread occurrence; manifesting in all spheres of human endeavours. The multi-dimensional conflicts between the Fulani pastoralists and farmers in Nigerian communities have resulted to socio-political and economic challenges in the country; as it heighten public insecurity by claiming many lives and properties. However, the clashes appeared to be ubiquitous in northern Nigerian states of Zamfara, Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Katsina and most recently in Taraba (Sardauna Local Government Area) and Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State, among others, where hundreds of people lost their lives, valuable properties were destroyed and livestock worth millions of naira were killed. This manifestation is apparently as a result of the inability of individual states and national policies over the years to effectively tackle the violence. This paper investigated the root causes and dimensions of the farmers-pastoralists conflict in Nigeria.Thus, secondary data through document/content analysis were used. The paper posited that conflictsbetween farmerspastoralists in Nigerian communities are mainly caused by land related issues, perceived socio-political exclusion of individuals and groups in decision-making and inadequate government intervention. It offered recommendations, among others that there is an urgent need for the Federal Government to take a decisive action throughout the country since individual states seem not capable of doing so, and there must also be policy reform that would give herders their right to move with their livestock in search of pasture and water coupled with legal protection of grazing lands and cattle corridors.