The time for decisive and comprehensive action is now, before the crisis further deepens and engulfs more communities
Emmanuel Thomas I Wednesday, April 16, 2025
LAGOS, Nigeria – The persistent clashes between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers in Nigeria have evolved into a significant security and humanitarian crisis, claiming thousands of lives, displacing countless communities, and undermining the nation’s stability and food security.
These conflicts, once localized disputes over resources, have become increasingly frequent, widespread, and deadly, posing a grave challenge to Nigeria’s unity and development. To effectively tame this menace, a multi-faceted approach addressing the root causes, strengthening security measures, and promoting peaceful coexistence is urgently needed.
Understanding the Roots of the Conflict
The herder-farmer crisis is a complex issue with deep historical, environmental, economic, and socio-cultural roots.
Resource Scarcity: Competition for dwindling land and water resources, exacerbated by climate change, desertification, and population growth, is a major driver of conflict. As arable land shrinks and grazing areas diminish, herders are forced to migrate southwards in search of pasture, often encroaching on farmlands.
Historical Factors: Conflicts over land use between pastoralists and farmers have existed for centuries. However, these conflicts have intensified in recent decades due to increased pressure on resources.
Economic Factors: Livestock rearing is a significant economic activity, particularly for the Fulani ethnic group, who are predominantly herders. The destruction of farmlands by grazing cattle leads to economic losses for farmers, fueling resentment and retaliation. Conversely, cattle rustling by criminal elements also provokes violent reactions from herders.
Socio-cultural and Ethnic Dimensions: While fundamentally a resource conflict, the clashes have increasingly taken on ethnic and religious dimensions. Most herders are of the Fulani ethnic group and predominantly Muslim, while the farmers are often from various other ethnic groups and predominantly Christian, particularly in the Middle Belt region. This has led to dangerous narratives of ethnic and religious domination, further exacerbating the violence.
Proliferation of Arms: The easy availability of firearms has made these conflicts far more lethal, with both herders and some farming communities resorting to sophisticated weapons.
Weak Governance and Impunity: A lack of effective governance, weak law enforcement, and a culture of impunity for perpetrators of violence have allowed the crisis to fester and escalate. Failure to investigate and prosecute those responsible for attacks emboldens others and erodes trust in the state.
The Devastating Impact of Herdsmen Violence
The perennial killings and displacement caused by herdsmen-farmer clashes have had far-reaching and devastating consequences across Nigeria:
Loss of Lives and Displacement: Thousands of people, including farmers, herders, women, and children, have been killed in these conflicts. Hundreds of thousands more have been displaced from their homes and farmlands, leading to a humanitarian crisis with immense suffering and the creation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
Food Insecurity: The destruction of farmlands and displacement of farmers disrupt agricultural production, leading to food shortages, increased food prices, and a threat to national food security.
Economic Disruption: The violence disrupts trade, commerce, and other economic activities in affected regions, hindering development and exacerbating poverty. Investors, both local and foreign, are often deterred from investing in conflict-prone areas.
Social Cohesion and National Unity: The ethnic and religious undertones of the conflict strain social cohesion, deepen mistrust between communities, and threaten Nigeria’s national unity.
Psychological Trauma: The violence inflicts severe psychological trauma on individuals and communities, leading to long-term mental health issues.
Environmental Degradation: Indiscriminate bush burning, often associated with herding practices or conflict, contributes to environmental degradation.
Taming the Menace: A Multi-pronged Approach
Addressing the perennial killings by herdsmen requires a comprehensive and sustained strategy involving the government at all levels, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organizations, and international partners. Key steps include:
Strengthening Security and Law Enforcement:
Enhanced Security Presence: Deploying well-equipped and trained security forces to vulnerable areas to protect both farmers and herders and deter attacks. Security forces must be impartial and professional in their operations.
Disarmament: Intensifying efforts to disarm all armed groups, including ethnic militias and vigilantes, and controlling the proliferation of illegal firearms.
Effective Investigation and Prosecution: Ensuring thorough investigation of all incidents of violence and the diligent prosecution of perpetrators to end impunity. Special courts or task forces could be established to expedite justice.
Border Security: Strengthening border security to curb the inflow of arms and the movement of criminal elements.
Early Warning Systems: Establishing and strengthening early warning systems to detect potential conflicts and enable proactive intervention.
Addressing the Root Causes:
Land Use Planning and Management: Developing and implementing comprehensive land use policies that clearly demarcate grazing reserves and farmlands, taking into account the needs of both pastoralists and farmers. This may involve the establishment of designated grazing areas with access to water and other resources.
Livestock Sector Reform: Implementing the National Livestock Transformation Plan or similar initiatives that promote ranching and other modern animal husbandry practices. This will help reduce open grazing, minimize conflicts over land, improve livestock productivity, and create economic opportunities. The government should provide incentives and support for herders to adopt these modern practices.
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: Implementing strategies to address the impact of climate change on land and water resources, such as promoting sustainable agricultural practices, investing in irrigation, and supporting climate-resilient livelihoods. Ecosystem restoration projects in the Sahel region could help reduce the southward migration of herders in the long term.
Conflict Resolution Mechanisms: Strengthening traditional and modern conflict resolution mechanisms at the community level to mediate disputes between farmers and herders peacefully. This includes supporting dialogue, negotiation, and reconciliation efforts.
Education and Awareness: Conducting public awareness campaigns to promote tolerance, understanding, and peaceful coexistence between different ethnic and religious groups. Educational programs can also focus on sustainable land management practices.
Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and Economic Opportunities:
Community-Based Initiatives: Supporting community-led initiatives that foster dialogue, trust-building, and collaboration between farmers and herders.
Economic Empowerment: Creating economic opportunities for both farmers and herders to reduce their vulnerability and dependence on land resources alone. This could include supporting agricultural diversification, value addition to livestock products, and the development of alternative livelihoods.
Resettlement and Rehabilitation: Providing adequate support for the resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced persons, including housing, food, healthcare, and livelihood assistance.
Strengthening Governance and Political Will:
Strong Political Will: Demonstrating strong political will at all levels of government to address the crisis decisively and impartially.
Policy Implementation and Monitoring: Ensuring the effective implementation of policies and programs aimed at resolving the conflict and regularly monitoring their impact.
Inclusive Governance: Promoting inclusive governance that addresses the grievances and concerns of all affected communities.
The perennial killings by herdsmen in Nigeria represent a grave threat to the nation’s security, stability, and development. Taming this menace requires a concerted and sustained effort by all stakeholders. By addressing the root causes of the conflict, strengthening security measures, promoting peaceful coexistence, and demonstrating strong political will, Nigeria can break the cycle of violence and build a more secure and prosperous future for all its citizens.
The time for decisive and comprehensive action is now, before the crisis further deepens and engulfs more communities.
