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Paper short abstract:

This paper investigates the extent to which climate change, terrorism, and farmer/pastoralist conflict have contributed to forced displacements and migration, and understands how farming communities are transforming their livelihoods.

Paper long abstract:

Recent anecdotal reports reveal that the effects of climate change and the increase in banditry, terrorism, and conflicts between farmers and pastoralists have added to the list of challenges hampering agricultural sustainability in Nigeria. Accompanying this recent trend is the forced internal displacement and migration of farming individuals and households, especially in the Northern regions of the country. This paper explores the nature, scope, and intensity of the farmers’ displacement, subsequent migration, and the resulting livelihood transformation as well as the impact of forced displacement on sustainable agriculture in Nigeria. Peri-urban and farming communities in Lagos and Benue, are used as case studies. The research adopts a citizen science approach and a mixed method technique including key informant interviews (24 respondents), surveys (213 respondents), and life trajectory mapping. Findings reveal that while lack of rainfall and flooding are the most important climate change factors that have affected farming households and activities in Nigeria in the last 10 years, issues such as banditry, kidnapping, conflicts, and terrorism are more prevalent.

To understand the dynamics of internal displacement and livelihood transformation in Nigeria, this paper asks the following questions: What is the most important factor explaining the forced displacement of farmers in Nigeria? How easy/difficult is it for internally displaced farming persons/households to engage in their traditional occupation and what is the extent of livelihood transformation among them? How can the government, civil societies, and NGOs support internally displaced persons to continue farming to enhance food security in Nigeria?