Key Features:
- Number of Chapter: 5
- Number of Pages: 52
- Detailed Tables
- Well Detailed Thesis
- Graphical representations
- Questionnaire
Abstract:
Community herdsmen and farmers conflict have remained the most preeminent resource-use conflict in Nigeria. Several researchers have observed that the threat of community herdsmen and farmers appears to have direct implications for socio-economic development in the states attacked and Nigeria in general. This research work is aimed at exploring the impacts of community herdsmen and farmers conflict on farmland in Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria and it’s implication for social and economic status on the people and the land. In order to meet this purpose, four research questions were designed. Descriptive survey design was used and the population of the study was 100 farmers and 50 community herdsmen from Lokoja, Kogi State. The study revealed that the major causes of community herdsmen and farmers clashes in Lokoja communities is the destruction of crops, followed by the contamination of stream by cattle, indiscriminate bush burning and disregard for traditional authority. In addition, the result also revealed that most of the respondents are of the opinion that loss of human life, fear in participating in social activities and Reduction in quality of social relationship are the social effects of the danger of community herdsmen in Lokoja, Kogi State. The result also shows that majority of the respondents believed that scarcity of agricultural products is the major economic effects of community herdsmen on the farmlands in Lokoja, followed by displacement of farmers, reduction in output and income of farmers/ nomads, damages of infrastructural, loss of house and properties and loss of produce in storage. Based on the findings, it was recommended amongst others that participatory planning process that involves all stakeholders of the communities in the dispute resolution mechanism should be adopted.
Table of Content:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Content Page
Cover Page
Title Page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v
Abstract viii
Table of Contents ix
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of Problem 3
1.3 Justification of the Study 4
1.4 Aim and Objectives 5
1.5 Research Question 6
1.6 Scope of the Study 6
1.7 Geographical Description of the Study Area 6
1.7.1 Location of the Study Area 6
1.7.2 Climate of the Study Area 8
1.7.3 Temperature of the Study Area 8
1.7.4 Geology of the Study Area ` 8
1.7.5 Soil and Vegetation of the Study Area 9
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 10
2.1 Introduction 10
2.1 Conceptual Frame Work 10
2.1.1 Causes of Farmer and Herdsmen Conflict in Nigeria 10
2.1.1 Land use 10
2.1.2 Ethnic and Religious differences 12
2.1.3 Other causes 14
2.2 Theoretical Framework 15
2.3 Empirical Framework 16
2.4 Implication of Farmers and Herdsmen Conflict in Nigeria 19
2.4.1 Lose of live and properties 19
2.4.2 Economic Depletion 20
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 METHODOLOGY 23
3.1 Introduction 23
3.2 Research Design 23
3.3 Types and Sources of Data 23
3.4 Sampling Techniques 24
3.5 Sample Size 24
3.7 Data Collection 25
3.5 Data Analysis 25
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 26
4.1 Results 26
4.1.1 Respondents Gender 26
4.1.2 Age Group of Respondents 27
4.1.3 Educational and Occupational Status of Respondents 28
4.1.4 What are the causes of Community Herdsmen and farmers 29
clashes in Lokoja, Kogi State?
4.1.5 What are the social effects of the menace of community herdsmen 31
in Lokoja, Kogi State?
4.1.6 What are the economic effects of community herdsmen on the 33
farmlands in Lokoja, Kogi State?
4.2 Discussion 35
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 38
5.1 Introduction 38
5.2 Summary 38
5.3 Conclusion 41
5.2 Recommendations 41
REFERENCES 42
APPENDIX 45
Introduction:
All over Nigeria there is an emphasis on the need for the promotion of agriculture as an alternative to oil as a major source of national revenue. A lot of agricultural programmes are put in place by governmental and non-governmental organization. Due to this emphasis on agricultural production, many people are going into farming; likewise more people are going into livestock and cattle breeding in particular. The effect of this agricultural surge is that there is a competition for the available land resources between farmers and herdsmen. A dimensional problem arises as cattle do graze on the farms of farmers and farmers in retaliation attacks the cows of the herdsmen. The herdsmen go on a reprisal attacks on the farmers largely because they value their cows immensely. So the attacks and reprisal attacks by farmers and herdsmen leads to destruction of lives and properties and also precipitate national disintegration (Ajibo et al., 2018).
The Fula origin also known as Fulani are mass inhabitants widely dispersed in all of Africa, but most predominant in West Africa. The Fulani people migrated from Middle East and North Africa. However, the history of the Fulani origin began with the Berbers of North Africa around the 8th or 11th century AD (Anter, 2015). About AD 900 - 1900, they spread to most parts of West Africa and to some areas of Central Africa (Anter, 2015). The Fulani migrants were predominantly Muslims. As the population increases, the number of converts to Islam also increased. In the opening of 18th century, there were revolts between the Fulani and the local people. Although, these uprisings began as holy wars (jihads), after their triumph they followed the basic standard of Fulani ethnic dominance in most West African States.
Most of the Fulani people are nomadic in nature, herding sheep, goats and cattle across the dry grass lands of their environs and making them the main pastoral nomadic group in the world. The main Fulani sub groups in Nigeria are: Fulbe Gombe, Fulbe Adamawa, Fulbe Sokoto, FulbeMbororo, and Fulbe Borgu (Kasarachi, 2016). The Fulani unarguably represent a significant part of the economy of Nigeria. They are the major breeders of goats, sheep and cattle as those animals are the major source of meat and affordable source of animal proteins ate by Nigerians. The Fulani own over ninety percent of the livestock population which accounts for one-third of agricultural GDP and 3.2% of the entire GDP in Nigeria (Fabiyi & Otunuga, 2016). The Fulani herdsmen mostly move with their cattle’s from one destination to another in search of grazing land especially in the dry season. When the Fulani light-skinned herders are migrating, they are often accompanied by their dark-skinned sedentary kinsmen (urban or town Fulani), who are better educated, more dynamic as politicians, and were fanatical and versed as Muslims than the former.
Nigeria as a nation is under a severe internal and security threat as the threat has political, economic and environmental dimensions. Each of these dimensions has critically affected the stability of the nation and can be traced to many factors in which the Fulani-herdsmen appears to be major factor. Most worrisome in the present development is the pillaging, raping, killing and kidnapping by the so called Fulani herdsmen. Stories are found in the national dailies on daily basis of how these shepherds strategically attack several communities and houses, with sophisticated assault guns- AK-47.
1.2 Statement of Problem
According to Okereke (2012) and Bello (2013), the conflicts in most part of Nigeria especially the Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash are largely uncalled for. Farmers can no longer farm peacefully because of Fulani herdsmen. These Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash have pitched Christians and Muslims against each other. Recent studies conducted by Okereke (2012) and Kasarachi (2016) have shown that, serious conflict erupt between Fulani herdsmen and farmers leading to loss of lives, valuable properties and destruction of vast expanse of arable agricultural farmlands thereby posing serious threat to food security since farmers for fear of attack could no longer go to farm and harvest their farm produce.
In recent times, the killings recorded by Fulani herdsmen and farmers clash has rampaged most communities displacing them of their farmlands and loss of their major source of livelihood. This is becoming unbearable with the Fulani herdsmen always having their ways leaving the farmers at their mercy. Herdsmen attribute the roots of the crisis to religious differences resulting in the killing of their cows while the farmers see the herdsmen as a threat to their crops and agricultural produce since the herdsmen allow their cows to feed on the farmer crops. This recent wave of violence in Nigeria as observed by Kasarachi (2016) has disrupted socio-economic, religious and educational activities, political instability and threatened the national unity in Nigeria. These extra judiciary killings have forced thousands of people to abandon their homes and farmlands for safety.
Okereke (2012) asserts that this unfolding violence have become so alarming that there is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria is at a crossroad and gradually drifting to a conflict society. Equally begging for answers are the social issues of the rape of women, robbery and kidnapping with ultimate intent for ransom. Timeline of Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria as recorded by Gbaradi (2018) showed that Fulani herdsmen killed 3,780 Nigerians in attacks across the country excluding the injured and abducted. On the other hand, farmers have killed scores of cattle and Fulani herdsmen in revenge attacks for the destruction of farms and farm produce by cattle. For example, from the records of Gbaradi (2018) herdsmen invaded 2 villages in Agatu LGA in Benue state killing 8 villagers allegedly in retaliation for the killing of 112 cows.
1.4 Aim and Objectives
This research work is aimed at assessing the impact of community herdsmen and farmers clashes on farmland in Lokoja, Kogi State with the following objectives;
i. To identify the causes of community herdsmen and farmers clashes in Lokoja, Kogi State
ii. To examine the social effects of community herdsmen and farmers clashes on farmland in Lokoja, Kogi State
iii. To determine the economic effects of community herdsmen and farmers clashes on farmland in Lokoja, Kogi State
1.5 Research Question
i. What are the causes of community herdsmen and farmers clashes in Lokoja, Kogi State?
ii. What are the social effects of community herdsmen and farmers clashes on farmland in Lokoja, Kogi State?
iii. What are the economic effects of community herdsmen and farmers clashes on farmland in Lokoja, Kogi State?
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