Paper short abstract:

This paper offers a critical empirical analysis of the changing dynamics of conflicts between farmers and pastoralists in Nigeria. Available evidence suggests that the conflicts are driven by religion, ethnicity, the emergence of new actors and contesting claims to land and territorial control.

Paper long abstract:

Historical accounts of the interactions between farmers and herders in Nigeria suggest that the relationship between the two groups was symbiotic and cordial. Though there were skirmishes arising from encroachment on cultivated farmlands and cattle rustling - a function of their divergent livelihoods, these were amicably resolved through dispute resolution mechanisms overseen by traditional rulers. However, recent episodes of farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria are characterised by arson, brutal murders, rape, destruction of settlements and massive displacement of people. Efforts by state governments to manage these conflicts have at best, resulted in temporary relief. The intractable nature of the conflict and the ineffectiveness of the peacebuilding interventions employed have raised questions as to whether the local nature of the grievances that drive the current farmer-herder conflicts has changed. This research investigates the changing dynamics of farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria, providing insights into the complexities that characterize the interactions between farmers and pastoralists. The study steps in the gap of an absence of conflict analysis which is a crucial but often neglected step in understanding the causes of conflicts and determining appropriate solutions. Empirical evidence generated suggests that the causes of conflict between farmers and herders go beyond the competition for grazing fields. Contesting claims to land and territorial influence, the emergence of new actors, ethnicity, religion and the settler/non-settler dichotomy were identified as some of the underlying drivers of farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria. The findings are significant because understanding the drivers of conflict is fundamental to conflict management.