Herdsmen-Farmers Conflicts and Insecurity Narratives in Nigeria

Abstract

What drives violent conflicts in Nigeria? Are the disputes economic in nature, over land resources, religious, or insurgency-related? These and other related questions are necessary to understand the spectre of violent conflicts across Nigeria, particularly between herdsmen and farmers. On this account, the study explores the root causes of such conflicts, especially land contestation, climate change, state weakness, and the connections to the Boko Haram insurgency. Based on a literature review and conflict data, the research finds that land and resource control disputes are still central to the crisis, and this is worsened by population pressure, governance, and security abuses. The research recognises that a lack of definitive land tenure policies and the politicisation of security interventions have exacerbated the conflict. The paper concludes that in the absence of firm interventions, herdsmen-farmers conflicts can escalate into a national security threat with widespread national and regional ramifications. It suggests policy interventions such as land reform, setting up an effective security architecture, community-based conflict resolution
mechanisms, and cooperative governance strategies to strengthen sustainable peace.