Paper short abstract:

The paper analyses the environment challenges such as droughts, desertification and land degradation which pushes herders and farmers into competition for limited resources. The paper will explore the interplay between these factors and conflicts resulting to food insecurity in Nigeria.

Paper long abstract:

This study explores environmental challenges as a causal factor and part driver of herder-farmer conflicts in Northern Nigeria. The study examines climate change and environmental factors as a significant threat to food security at all levels in Nigeria and northern Nigeria in particular. The paper analyses the various environmental factors that necessitated the horizontal and vertical movements of herders in northern region in Nigeria. This work also demonstrates how Nigerian successive governments have made frantic efforts in resolving the clashes through various policies since 1960s. By examining the historical, social, and economic dimensions of these conflicts within the context of environmental change, the paper aims to offer a deeper understanding of the challenges and potential solutions to mitigate the impacts of these conflicts on food security. The paper adopts historical research methods which includes primary and secondary sources. The primary data was collected through oral interview, observation and pictorial documentation while the secondary sources were derived through literature search, online sources, journals and other publications. In this study, it has been found that environmental challenges is capable of causing socio-political and economic instability as well as security threat in the country, if not adequately and properly addressed. The paper recommends that public enlightenment on environmental management, kinetic and non-kinetic methods should be adopted for effective resolution of conflicts between the two groups. The study concludes that the government of Nigeria must be decisive in action by providing stringent policies that will permanently address the environmental problems for sustainable food security.