Paper short abstract:

The conflict between nomadic Fulani herders and indigenous farmers in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria is an unpleasant phenomenon that has a significant impact on farmers’ livelihood and a resultant effect on food security..

Paper long abstract:

The increasing strictures of climate change on water resources and arable pastureland has necessitated an increase in herders’ migration flow, which in turn has increased the risk of direct conflict between these parties, and negatively impacted farmers’ welfare. This herders-farmers conflict has a significant effect on farmers’ livelihood and food security in the Niger-Delta region. It has resulted in the loss of crops, income, and farmers’ displacement from their homes and farms. The increasing competition for scarce resources such as water and grazing lands has been a major contributing factor to this conflict. Exacerbated by climate change, the situation has led to frequent and severe droughts, reducing the available resources for both farmers and herders. This paper assessed the effect of Fulani herders-farmers conflict on farmers’ welfare in Niger-Delta, Nigeria. Using content analysis, the region has two major industries, Oil exploitation and agriculture by smallholder farmers. Prolonged droughts in the North have reduced crop yield and the quality of grazing lands, thus causing herders to move southward in search of pasture. This has resulted into increased conflicts between farmers and herders, with farmers losing their crops, properties, livelihoods, and sometimes their lives. The effects of the Fulani herders/farmers conflict also had a broader impact on food security in the region. Farmer’s displacement and crop loss have reduced overall food production in the region, causing increased food insecurity and high cost of food. We recommend that stakeholders proffer a lasting solution through a sustainable framework for migration and climate governance.