Don identifies major causes of farmer/herder crises in Nigeria

A Don, Prof. Daniel Gwary has identified population explosion, neglect of agrarian sector, reactive state’s response to conflict and stereotyped media narrative as some the causes of conflict between farmers and herders.

Gwary, a senior lecturer at University of Maiduguri, made the assertion at a two-day national summit on conflict resolution organised by the Nation Newspapers in collaboration with TVC on Monday in Abuja with its theme: “towards an enduring peace.

The don noted that farmers/herdsmen’s clashes have been assuming a wider dimension in the last decade.

He, however, said that government at all levels should endeavour to strengthen security arrangement for herders’ and farmers’ communities, especially in the North-Central zone.

“Also establishment of conflict mediation, resolution, reconciliation and peace building mechanism as well as addressing environmental factors will help in ensuing peace among farmers and herders,” he said.

In his own contribution, Mr Joseph Lengmang, Director-General, Plateau State Peace Building Agency, attributed the incessant conflict among farmers and herders to hate and resentment.

According to him, there are other important components that make for peace in a society, they are forgiveness and reconciliation among others.

Lengmang noted that for peace to prevail both conflicting parties must embrace the important components.

On his part, Sen. Shehu Sani, (APC-Kaduna Central), noted that the major problem militating against conflict resolution was the existing weak institutions in the country.

He, therefore, called for an effective structures to put farmers and herders clashes in the country to a permanent end.