Reconstructing the origin and the main drivers of conflict between Tiv farmers and Fulani herders in Benue state, Nigeria

Abstract

As a multi-ethnic society, Nigeria has been battling with various intergroup conflicts since independence. These ranges from religious conflicts to ethnic and resource-based conflicts. One of the most prevalent inter-group contestations is farmer-herder conflict. Virtually all states in the country are suffering from this long-standing insecurity. However, Benue state is more affected in terms of frequency and gravity. Despite the attention the conflict has received from government, researchers, international and community-based organisations, there seems to be no end in sight. Understanding the origin and drivers of the conflict therefore is very critical to finding lasting solutions that are conflict sensitive, community oriented and context
specific. Data were sourced from interviews and secondary sources, and were historically analysed in order to understand the relationship between past events and contemporary issues in the farmer-herder conflict. Findings shows that, the presence of Fulani herders in the Benue Valley can be traced to 100 years back; and their relationship with host communities was cordial up until the late 20th century when the country’s population began to increase astronomically, leading to fierce competition over scarce land and water resources. Data also revealed that there are many drivers of the conflict such as drought and desertification, loss of grazing lands, new livestock and farming practices, rural banditry and cattle rustling, escalating conflict across northern Nigeria, and collapsed of traditional mechanism for conflict resolution. Ranching and afforestation in Northern Nigeria are some of the recommendations made in the paper.