542 killed, 2 million displaced in farmer-herder conflicts – Report

A report by SBM Intelligence, a research and consulting firm, has revealed that 542 civilians have lost their lives in farmer-herder conflicts across the country since 2019, while no less than 2. million have been displaced by it.

Nigeria’s security framework has been marred by terrorism and insurgency for decades. Compounding this crisis is the farmer-herder conflicts.

Farmer-herder conflicts occur when agrarian farmers clash with nomadic herdsmen, many of whom are of Fulani extraction. Different factors account for the clash between both groups.

According to the International Crisis Group, climatic changes, population growth, technological and economic shifts, crime, political and ethnic strife, and cultural changes significantly contribute to farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria.

SBM also linked the migration of Fulani herdsmen, religious differences, and the fear of a Fulani hegemony to the increased spate of farmer-herder conflicts.

“Another study discusses how migration patterns have led to increased conflicts with host farming communities. This perspective underscores the role of resource competition and economic interests in fueling the disputes.

“However, others point out that Nigeria’s multi-religious context, conflicts are often linked to religion. This other study notes that the fear of “Fulanisation” has produced significant threats, resulting in panic, unrest and attacks among Christian communities hosting Fulani herder,” the report read in part.

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Reducing communities to ruins

The impact of this conflict is drastic on not only the victims but the entire country.

The age-long conflict has resulted in the loss of lives and properties, reduced communities to ruins, displaced millions and has left Nigeria’s food security hanging in the balance.

“The human cost is staggering: over 2.2 million displaced nationwide, with 300,000 in Benue’s overcrowded camps alone. Nigeria’s food security hangs in the balance as the Middle Belt’s agricultural output plummets, exacerbating inflation,” the report noted.

According to SBM, 542 civilians have been killed since 2019. It described the loss of lives and the destruction of communities as one of the most tragic consequences of the conflict.

History of farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria

Although the conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and pastoral farmers escalated in the 2010s, they date back several decades.

The Fulani ethnic group is one of the largest in West Africa. The report by SBM described them as nomadic pastoralists who move their cattle across vast stretches of land in search of land in search of pasture and water.

The report noted that Fulani pastoralists coexisted peacefully with farming communities across West Africa for centuries and exchanged dairy for crops in a mutually beneficial relationship.

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The abundance of land kept disputes between them and agrarian farmers minimal.

However, as the population began to expand, urbanization and desertification began to set in, farmlands began to expand, and traditional grazing routes suffered encroachment.

The 1970s witnessed environmental pressures, including severe droughts, forcing Fulani herdsmen to migrate southwards in search of pasture, and as they moved, disputes over land use began to escalate.

This worsened from the 1990s onwards as climate change and desertification reduced available grazing land and increased competition for resources led to clashes. These clashes became more violent over the years.

“By the 2010s, these conflicts had evolved into a full-blown security crisis. Armed groups,s including Fulani militias linked to organised crime syndicates and bandit networks, exacerbated the violence.

“The proliferation of modern weapons further intensified the clashes, turning local disputes into large-scale security threats. reports of attacks on farming communities, reprisal killings and mass displacement became increasingly common,” the report noted.

Pastoral violence expands despite efforts to resolve the conflict

Several measures have been adopted to nip the conflict in the bud. Despite these measures and efforts to resolve the conflict, pastoral violence expands.

Some of these efforts include anti-open grazing legislation, the RUGA Settlement Initiative, and peace dialogues.

Anti-open grazing laws seek to ban open grazing, encourage ranching and reduce conflicts between farmers and herders. Benue and Ekiti are some of the states that have introduced these laws.

The report noted that enforcing the legislation has posed a challenge to resolving the conflicts.

“Enforcement has proven to be a major challenge, with herders often defying the bans due to a lack of alternative grazing options and poor institutional capacity for law enforcement.”

It added that political resistance, implementation challenges have equally hindered the progress of other measures, leaving the conflict largely unresolved.