Page 1 of 10
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 8
Publication Date: August 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/assrj.108.15299.
Audu, C. T., & Audu, D. I.-A. (2023). Exploring The Symbiotic Economic Benefits Between Farmers and Herders to Promote Peaceful
Coexistence in Taraba State Nigeria. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 228-237.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Exploring The Symbiotic Economic Benefits Between Farmers
and Herders to Promote Peaceful Coexistence in Taraba State
Nigeria
Christina Tanko Audu
Department of Science Education, Taraba State University, Jalingo
Daniel Imoken-Asi Audu
School of Science and Technology, Taraba State Polytechnic, Jalingo
ABSTRACT
This paper explored the symbiotic economic benefits between farmers and herders
in Taraba State to promote peaceful coexistence. Taraba State is one of the states in
the North East region of Nigeria that is mostly affected by farmers-herders crisis.
The paper explicated the causes of the farmers-herders crisis which include
growing population, abandonment of grazing reserve system and proliferation of
small arms and light weapons among others. Although the Federal and State
Governments have responded in several ways among which are creation of grazing
reserves in 1965, establishment of the National Commission for Nomadic Education
(NCNE) in 1989, the use of the Armed Forces to curb internal security cause by
farmers-herders crisis, proposed National Grazing Reserve Bill 2016, proposed
Cattle Ranching System 2018, legislation prohibiting open grazing and the Great
Green Wall Agency of the Federal Government. All these efforts by the Federal
Government and various State Government could not bring the desired peaceful
coexistence between farmers and herders. The crisis still lingered in Taraba State
and many other states. Therefore, the paper explored the symbiotic economic
benefits that could be enjoyed by farmers and herders leading to peaceful
coexistence. Some of the symbiotic economic benefits capable of stimulating
peaceful coexistence are; after harvesting crops on their farm, they usually allow
cattle to graze on the leftovers, during which excrement from the cows provide
manure for the farm, use of yam and cassava peels for preparation of animal feeds,
use of rice, guinea corn, maize and millet chaff for animal feeds and use of animal
waste as fertilizer. The author concluded that exploring the symbiotic economic
benefits explicated in this paper can bring about peaceful coexistence between
farmers and herders which will also result to a peaceful Taraba State. It was
suggested that government and private individuals should established ranches
within farming communities in such a manner that herders can get animal feeds
from farmers while the farmers get manure from the herders’ ranches.
Keywords: farmers, herders, crisis, peace, coexistence, symbiotic and economic benefits
Page 2 of 10
229
Audu, C. T., & Audu, D. I.-A. (2023). Exploring The Symbiotic Economic Benefits Between Farmers and Herders to Promote Peaceful Coexistence in
Taraba State Nigeria. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 228-237.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.15299
INTRODUCTION
Since the return to democracy in 1999, Nigeria has been grappling with diverse security
challenges, chief among them is insurgency, banditry, election violence, kidnapping and most
recently, the herder-farmer conflicts among others. The North Eastern States of Taraba,
Adamawa and Kaduna, as well as North Central States of Benue, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa
among other states have experienced conflicts that led to thousands of deaths and
displacements as a result of clashes between pastoralists (herders) and local farmers in several
communities. According to Amnesty International (2018), reports indicate that in January 2018
alone about 168 people were killed as a result of herdsmen-farmers clashes. In Taraba State in
particular on 17th–20th June, 2017, several farming communities on the Manbilla Plateau of
Sarduma Local Government Area of Taraba State came under attack by armed herders and 732
people were killed. On January 30, 2018, herders living in the Leme Community, a village in the
Membilla Plateau in Taraba State were killed in a vengeance attack. The same occurred in Gareji
Village on January 17, 2018. On April 10, 2019, a similar attack took place in Dori, Mesuma, in
Gashaka Local Government of Taraba State. Also on 7th March 2022 at least 26 people, including
children and women, were feared killed and scores of others injured and hundreds of houses
were burnt and property worth millions of naira destroyed when suspected armed herders
attacked Tor-Damisa community in Donga Local government Area of Taraba State. On 6th April
2023, no fewer than eight persons were confirmed dead following attacks and counter attacks
between farmers and herders in Ussa Local Government Area of Taraba state (Nwangoro, 2023).
Various cases of conflict in Taraba State between the herders and farmers involved significant
variables in land resources. As pointed out, the livelihood of farmers and herders in Taraba
State is threatened by decreasing access to land resources. In areas of stiff competition for
grazing land and farming, the intensity of the conflict is high. Abbas (2012) stated that, in
Taraba State for example, areas mostly affected include Ibi, Bali, Wukari and Takun local
government areas among others.
Struggle over grazing land and scarce resources have over the years resulted in perennial and
growing violent conflicts in terms of frequency, intensity and geographic scope. Underpinning
the escalation in frequency of conflicts in Nigeria is a confluence of environmental and
demographic forces, especially desertification caused by climate change and population
explosion. Expectedly, with the depletion of arable land for subsistence farming largely as a
result of increasing urbanisation and the adverse effect of climate change, especially along the
Lake Chad basin, there is increased struggle between herdsmen and farmers leading to violent
confrontations and conflicts, deaths and forced displacement, as well as the destruction of
agriculture crops and livestock.
CAUSES OF FARMERS-HERDERS CONFLICT
There are different views regarding the causes of farmers-herders crisis in Nigeria. The conflict
has underlying economic and environmental reasons. It has also acquired religious and ethnic
dimensions.
Growing Population
Centuries back, many of the low-lying areas next to rivers in Nigeria were hardly used by
farmers because of some wide-range of reasons. One of such was the exposure to diseases like
river blindness and malaria. Another was the problem of erosion peculiar to these riverine
areas. These areas instead were mainly used for grazing by nomadic herders and fishermen.
Page 3 of 10
230
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 8, August-2023
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
However, the increase in Nigeria’s population led to a need for much greater use of these lands,
especially for food production. The growing population resulted to large-scale urbanization and
a growing demand for horticultural products in all regions. This spread various types of dry
season cultivation in many states and ultimately set the stage for the recurring farmers and
herders’ clashes (Abah & Petja, 2015). The farmers, usually desperate to meet the growing
demand for food items by the ever-increasing population and to feed their families took up
more of the riverbanks to farm. Doing this meant they encountered struggles with the other
users, especially the herders and even the marginal fishermen. The herders’ frustration and
hostility came mostly from finding the grazing routes and access to watering points covered by
farmers’ crops such as rice, sugar cane, groundnut, vegetables among others. This led to
misunderstanding and clashes leading to loss of many lives and properties.
Abandonment of Grazing Reserve System
The driving force of the clashes between farmers and herders is the competition for available
resources, especially grazing land. It seems that the government has abandoned the grazing
reserve system created by the Northern region government in 1965. Then, the government
created over 417 grazing reserves in the north. According to Bello (2015), under the grazing
reserve system, government provided space, water and vaccinations for the livestock while the
herdsmen paid taxes to the government in return. However, the discovery of oil and subsequent
exploration and export made Nigeria an oil economy, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s.
Subsequently, the grazing reserve system was abandoned due to the neglect of the agricultural
sector as the mainstay of the country’s economy.
Consequently, grazing reserves which were under a neglected agricultural sector could not be
sustained. It received little or no attention from succeeding administrations. As a fall-back,
herdsmen began to resort back to their traditional and seasonal grazing routes which had been
interrupted or interfered with by industrialisation, urbanisation, demographic and other
natural factors (Abah and Petja, 2015). This then led to clashes and conflict with farmers and
host communities. These conflicts have been on the increase in recent times and now constitute
one of the major threats to Nigeria’s national security.
Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons
A major cause for the escalating intensity of the conflict between farmers and herders is the
increasing proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria (Ugwumba, 2018). Given
that local communities including farmers and herders in Taraba State have access to small arms
and light weapons. In Taraba State, it is very common to see herders carrying AK-47 and other
small arms while grazing their cattle. For instance, Troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion
deployed to Taraba state on 14th May 2018 nabbed four suspected armed herdsmen caught
grazing their cows on a farmland in Suntai Daji village of Donga Local Government Area of
Taraba State, one AK-47 rifle with 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition were recovered
from the suspects.
Justifying this action, Olubajo (2021) stated that the Fulani herdsmen were exposed to the
dangers of the forests, orchestrated by animals and cattle rustlers who rob them of their cows
and kill them, adding that a herdsman has no option than to defend himself because the society
and the government are not protecting him. Similarly, farming communities do taxed
themselves to raise fund in order to buy arms to defend their communities in case of attack by
Page 4 of 10
231
Audu, C. T., & Audu, D. I.-A. (2023). Exploring The Symbiotic Economic Benefits Between Farmers and Herders to Promote Peaceful Coexistence in
Taraba State Nigeria. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 228-237.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.15299
herdsmen. As a result of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Taraba State,
minor disagreement or provocation between herders and farmers often degenerates into
violent clashes, resulting in widespread destruction of property and human casualties. Could
there be no weapons, most of the disagreements and provocations between herders and
farmers would not result to violence clashes.
Drought and Desertification
Nigeria’s far north is arid and semi-arid, with a long dry season from October to May and low
rainfall (600 to 900 mm) from June to September. In 2008, the National Meteorological Agency
reported that over the preceding 30 years the annual rainy season dropped from an average of
150 to 120 days. In the last six decades, over 350,000 sq km of the already arid region turned
to desert or desert-like conditions, a phenomenon progressing southward at the rate of 0.6km
per year. In Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara
states, estimates suggest that 50-75 per cent of the land area is becoming desert. These
environmental changes have wrecked agriculture and human livelihoods, forcing millions of
pastoralists and others to migrate to Taraba State, in search of productive land.
Migration initially was seasonal, with herders spending December to May in Taraba State
before returning to their original states of Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi,
Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara. Over the last two decades, however, as available pastures shrank in
the far north states, herders have been staying in Taraba State longer, from December to June
or July. More recently, some have chosen to graze their herds in the state permanently. This has
triggered increasing disputes over land and water use with Taraba State’s growing populations
of sedentary crop farmers.
THE GOVERNMENT’S STRATEGIC RESPONSE TO THE HERDSMEN-FARMERS CONFLICT
Creation of Grazing Reserves in 1965
In 1965 the northern regional government initiated one of the first attempts to respond to the
herdsmen-farmer conflict in the country (Peace and Security Forum, 2017). The grazing
reserves allocated large portions of land to be exclusively used by herders to rear their
livestock. However, the grazing reserve system was not supported adequately. The government
was still in the process of initiating legislations to legitimise the grazing reserves before natural
factors such as population growth and other related consequences like urbanisation and
migration encroached on these designated areas reducing the herders’ chances of accessing the
reserves. Thus, the policy failed.
Establishment of the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) in 1989
The federal government in 1989 established the NCNE and it is supported by the Nigerian legal
system. The main goal of the programme was to integrate nomadic pastoralists into national
life through mobile basic education and skill acquisition. The programme intended to integrate
them into society through education.
The Use of the Armed Forces to Curb Internal Security
One of the Federal government’s immediate measures to address the herdsmen-farmer
conflicts is the engagement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria as enshrined in the Constitution. For
example, in Plateau state, in 2001, the government deployed a Special Task Force called
Operation Safe Haven (STF-OSH) to check insecurity resulting from the herdsmen-farmers
Page 5 of 10
232
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 8, August-2023
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
clashes. Recently, the OSH mandate was expanded to replace Operation Harbin Kunama II in
Southern Kaduna state whose mandate was similar to that of OSH in Plateau. Presently, many
are calling for a total declaration of a state of emergency in Benue and Plateau states as a result
of the gruesome killing and displacement of thousands of people in those states. Nigerians also
expect the government to activate all the necessary sections of the constitution regarding the
use of the military in internal security. This call came as a fall-out of recent action taken by the
government to suppress the Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) agitations in the South-East
and similar uprisings in other parts of the country. The military was deployed in September
2017 in an operation code-named Operation Python Dance to suppress the IPOB agitation and
protests.
Establishment of the National Grazing Reserve Bill 2016
A National Grazing Reserve bill was sponsored in 2016 at the parliament to address the
herdsmen-farmer conflicts. The Bill did not survive due to opposition from different
stakeholders. Those that opposed the Bill hinged their rejection on the provisions of the Land
Use Act of 1978 which vests all powers related to the regulation of ownership, acquisition,
administration and management of Nigerian land with the state governors. Thus, the Land Use
Act is an Act of the National Assembly, and by implication, a binding legislation, unless it is
amended. State governments and their representatives at the parliament have always opposed
any attempt to establish grazing reserves in their domain. They consider it to be usurping the
constitutional powers vested in them.
Proposed Cattle Ranching System 2018
In reaction to increasing conflicts and mass killings resulting from seasonal pastoral
movements, the government in 2018, as a matter of policy approved a 10-year National
Livestock Plan at a cost of about 179 billion naira. The plan would culminate in the
establishment of 94 ranches in 10 pilot states of the federation. Again, state governments,
especially in the South and North Central areas rejected the proposal on the grounds of not
having enough space for such projects.
Legislation Prohibiting Open Grazing
As part of measures to end the persistent conflict between herdsmen and farmers in various
states, government at state levels began enacting legislations prohibiting open grazing in their
state. This, they hope, would reduce the risk of herdsmen destruction of farm lands and the
associated conflicts. Benue, Ekiti and Taraba states are leading this opposition by enacting state
laws prohibiting open grazing. On 22 May 2017 Benue state enacted the Open Grazing
Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law (2017) and its implementation began on 1
November 2017. Ekiti and Taraba states have also signed Bills prohibiting open grazing in their
states. This makes open grazing under any guise, an illegal activity punishable by law.
The Great Green Wall Agency of the Federal Government
In 2013 the Federal government established the Great Green Wall Agency to tackle
desertification. This was in response to the 2007 African Union Great Green Wall Initiative that
aimed at encouraging member states to plant 8000 km of trees along the Southern Sahel to
counter the effects of desertification along that area. Continued desert encroachment along the
Sahel region as a result of climate change is a major factor responsible for seasonal migration
of herdsmen from one region to the other in search of water and vegetation for cattle grazing.
Page 6 of 10
233
Audu, C. T., & Audu, D. I.-A. (2023). Exploring The Symbiotic Economic Benefits Between Farmers and Herders to Promote Peaceful Coexistence in
Taraba State Nigeria. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 228-237.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.15299
During Nigeria’s colonial era, large irrigation schemes to ensure freshly planted food crops
became popular. These schemes however became unsustainable forcing successive
governments to find alternatives. The need to have substitutes necessitated the introduction of
the Fadama projects in the early 90s to support traditional small-scale farmers. Fadama is a
term denoting irrigable low-lying plains. The idea was to promote low-cost technology for
irrigation under the World Bank financing. The Fadama cultivation was promoted throughout
the northern region.
SYMBIOTIC ECONOMIC BENEFITS THAT CAN STIMULATE PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE
BETWEEN FARMERS AND HERDERS
The greatest proportional cost in livestock production is expended on feeding. Meanwhile,
animal feeds can be obtained from farmers at little or no cost to the herders. Most of these feeds
are like wastes to the farmers. In Taraba State for instance, cotton is produced in large quantity
in Lau, Gassol and Jalingo local government areas. After extracting the fibre, large quantity of
cotton seeds is obtained. Most farmers use less than 5% of the cottonseed produced to save for
the following year’s cropping. The remaining cottonseed can be used as animals feed. Whole
cottonseed meal can be fed to ruminant animals such as cattle, goats, and sheep. Whole
Cottonseed has energy, protein and fibre in greater concentrations than many other feedstuffs.
That’s why it’s recognized by dairy producers nationwide as a cost-effective premier feedstuff
for lactating cows of high genetic merit. In fact, more than 50% of the annual supply of whole
cottonseed is consumed by dairy cattle. Cottonseed can be obtained from farmers by herders at
a very low price or even free since some farmers throw them away after extracting the cotton
fibre.
Similarly, corn (maize), sorghum, millet and guinea corn which are cultivated across all local
government areas in Taraba State are good sources of carbohydrate for livestock. During corn,
sorghum, millet and guinea corn harvest, some of the forage of the plants along with a small
amount of grain are leftin the field. Particularly,the forage ofthese plants is waste to the farmers
and most farmers either allow the forage to decay or are burnt. Upon agreement with the
farmer, herdsmen can take their livestock to the field to feed on the forage left on the farm or
the herdsmen may gather the forage and take them to feed their livestock. Ensuring that the
leftover feed is used by livestock plays an important role in the sustainability of the soil. The
goal is to minimize waste and the cattle are very helpful at accomplishing this. The majority of
what the cattle feed on is not the primary harvest crop. Corn stalks and wheat stubble are baled
after harvest and provide the main source of forage or roughage for the cattle. By grazing crop
residues, the abundance of forage that would otherwise be unused or wasted are utilized. For
every bushel of corn harvested, typically some pounds of residue are left in the field. Corn
residue includes the stalk, leaf, husk and cob, and downed ears. Cattle are selective grazers, and
will eat any leftover corn first, then the leaf and husk material.
Large numbers of agro-by product feedstuffs with enormous potentials exist in Taraba State,
amongst them are cassava peel and yam peel which are produced across Taraba State. Cassava
processing for both household consumption and industrial use generates considerable
quantities of cassava peel which are left in large heaps to rot or are set on fire. Nigeria, which is
the largest global producer of cassava, harvests about 59 million tonnes of cassava a year (20%
of global production), resulting in about 15 million tonnes of wet peels (Popoola, Kehinde,
Oladele-Bukola & Banjoko, 2021). The use of cassava peels in livestock feed is an age-old
Page 7 of 10
234
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 8, August-2023
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
practice. Traditionally, farmers would sun-dry the peels in small quantities as a feed resource.
This labour-intensive process has been cut to a fraction of the time thanks to a process
developed by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the International
Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) that grates, dries and dehydrates wet cassava peels and
turns them into High Quality Cassava Peel (HQCP) mash. With a moisture content of about 10-
12%, the final product can be stored for about six months. The cassava peel mash is energy-rich
and has a nutritional value close to maize. When used in animal feed, it reduces the amount of
maize needed, which lowers costs and frees up valuable grain for human consumption. Cassava
peel mash is now a viable industry in Nigeria and has the potential to be scaled out in other
countries. Converting the waste from cassava into a safe livestock feed is a game-changer in
resolving the near-perennial animal feed scarcity crisis, pastoralist-farmers conflicts over
natural resources and the high costs of compound feeds in Nigeria.
Yam peel is a by-product during processing of yam to pounded yam or yam flour and could be
used as alternative source energy in the diet of livestock. Yam peel is another feed resource that
can be used as an alternative ingredient. Yam peel is consumed fresh by cattle, sheep and goats
without any adverse effect. Yam peel can be sun-dried in order to enhance its utilization. The
peel contains 2-6% of crude protein depending on the varieties, the crude fibre ranges between
9-15% (Popoola, Kehinde, Oladele-Bukola & Banjoko, 2021). Yam peel is readily available in all
parts of Taraba State with little or no cost.
Animal waste can serve as organic fertilizer for the farmers’ crops. Cattle are great recyclers
whether they are grazing a corn stalk or rice after harvest or eating those leftovers on the farm.
Animal manure (AM), such as swine, cattle, sheep, horse, as well as other organic waste
materials from recycling agri-food or other processes may be used as nutrient source for
horticultural annual and perennial crops, increasing nutrient cycling and reducing costs related
to acquisition of industrial fertilizers. Additionally, over the years it is expected to modify
chemical, physical, and biological soil attributes such as increasing the nutrient content in the
soil, which can affect crop productivity, change the food composition, fruit and vegetable storage
aptitudes, and impact on the environment. Animal waste in soils may increase N, P and K
contents. The N present in animal waste is typically in the form of N-NH4+, and when applied
to the soil it is rapidly transformed into nitrate (N-NO3-) (Girotto, Ceretta, Lourenzi, Lorensini,
Tiecher, Vieira, Trentin, Basso, & Brunetto, 2013). Cow manure is rich in nutrients and is
suitable for plant growth. It has 3% nitrogen, 2% phosphorus, and 1% potassium 3-2-1 NPK,
making it the right type of fertilizer for almost all types of plants and crops. Cow dung has long
been recognized as perhaps the most desirable animal manures because of its high nutrient and
organic matter content. Addition of cow dung increases the organic carbon content of degraded
soil which may lead to the increasing activity of beneficial soil microorganisms as well as the
fertility status of soil by increasing the availability of nutrients for the plants from soil. Cow
dung significantly increased the growth and yield of plants (Mehedi, Siddique & Shahid, 2011).
SUGGESTIONS
The herder-farmer crisis is a threat to Nigeria’s national security. The Federal government
and state government should acknowledge this and work together to prevent further conflict.
The following suggestions are made:
Page 8 of 10
235
Audu, C. T., & Audu, D. I.-A. (2023). Exploring The Symbiotic Economic Benefits Between Farmers and Herders to Promote Peaceful Coexistence in
Taraba State Nigeria. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 228-237.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.15299
Improve Security for Herders and Farmers
An immediate step is to improve security for both herders and farming communities. At a
minimum, the federal government and its security agencies should intensify operations against
cattle rustlers, improving systems to track livestock movement and trade, arresting individuals
who carry illegal firearms and prosecuting suspected assailants. The federal government
should follow through on promises to stop armed attacks on farming communities, especially
in badly affected southern Kaduna and Benue states. To that end, federal security agencies –
notably the police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps – will need to focus on
preventive measures, including community liaison mechanisms to upgrade intelligence
gathering, early warning and rapid response. A key priority is to curb the influx and possession
of illegal firearms, especially automatic rifles. The new federal whistle-blower program on
illegal firearms is a promising start; it should be supported by speedily following up on
informants’ leads and protecting their identities. Likewise, the steps taken by several state
governments to curb illicit weapons should also be sustained. Finally, state governments also
could provide greater assistance to victims of herder-farmer violence, especially those not
directly involved in the violence. Working with local and international organisations, they could,
for example, expand humanitarian aid for displaced persons, especially women and children.
Support Community-Based Conflict Resolution
Local and community-based dispute resolution mechanisms have proved effective in both
averting violence and helping communities recover from conflict. Forums that allow various
constituencies; farmers, pastoralists, community vigilantes and state security agencies to
monitor, identify, discuss and manage potential threats can be particularly helpful. These also
can be used to help farmers and pastoralists explore mutually beneficial ways to coexist.
Wherever possible, state and local governments should support or establish such mechanisms,
especially across the worst-affected north-central region. Also, local politicians, ethnic, religious
and community leaders, as well as representatives of pastoralist and farmer associations need
to speak out against violence. The media should try to provide more balanced coverage that
avoids inflaming tensions through stereotyping, unfair generalisations and sensational
reporting.
Establish Grazing Reserves and Encourage Ranching
There is urgent need to reform and improve grazing arrangements. In March 2016, the federal
government announced its intent to establish grazing areas across the country, but vehement
opposition from farming communities forced it to relent. It needs a more nuanced approach,
which takes into account local sensitivities regarding cattle roaming and open grazing, not only
in the TarabaState but also in predominantly farming areas of the north-central states. As a first
step, the federal government, working with state governments, should jointly survey, demarcate
and officially document existing grazing reserves that have not been over-run by human
settlements and infrastructure. The federal government also should follow through on its plan
to establish new grazing reserves in the ten northern states that have already provided 55,000
hectares to that end. It should help state governments develop these areas following the model
provided by the International Fund for Agricultural Development(IFAD), which is funding three
reserves in Sokoto State. Also, the federal government should take steps to encourage ranching.
The Buhari’s administration’s Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP) 2016-2020 acknowledges
“the cattle value chain has become a security problem as roaming cattle increasingly is a source
of friction between land owners and herdsmen”. Accordingly, “a key shift is necessary: retaining
Page 9 of 10
236
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 8, August-2023
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
cattle in ranches”. Likewise, an April 2017 northern leaders’ summit recommended “a concerted
development of ranches” as a key step toward ending clashes.
Some initial steps have been taken. In April 2017, a policy dialogue initiated by the federal
agriculture ministry and facilitated by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
recommended that the government formulate and implement a ten-year National Ranch
Development Plan. It also called for securing support from traditional livestock producers by
helping them establish cooperatives and linking them up with financial institutions such as
Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing system for Agricultural
Lending (NIRSAL).
Combat Desertification
Some estimates suggest that during the twenty-first century, two thirds of Nigeria’s eleven far
northern states could become desert or semi-desert regions. Besides provoking considerable
economic and livelihood losses, this would force many more pastoralists to migrate southward,
risking more conflicts with the growing farming communities. Over the longer term, therefore,
federal and state governments should intensify implementation of the Great Green Wall
Initiative for the Sahara and the Sahel. Nigeria’s National Agency for the Great Green Wall aims
to rehabilitate 22,500 sq km of degraded land by 2020. Thus far, the agency’s impact is scarcely
felt: there is no evidence of increased tree cover, significant new infrastructure or
environmental restoration across the eleven impacted states. The agency needs to be
reorganised, better resourced and more goal-oriented to deliver results within the 2020
timeline. In the same spirit, the federal government should develop strategies for mitigating the
impact of climate change, managing environmentally-induced migration, preventing conflicts
over use of land and other natural resources and implement them.
Adoption of Modern Agriculture Techniques
There is an unprecedented increase in the number of farmers who need more portions of land
to farm and herders with larger herds of cattle who need more grazing areas. These dynamics
are geared by an increase in human and livestock population, whereas land is fixed. There is
thus an urgent need to transit from the traditional crop and livestock farming methods adopted
by farmers and pastoralists. While these methods may have worked successfully in the past,
they have become less sustainable today. Modern farming implies crop and animal husbandry
using science and technology to increase productions. On the one hand, for crop farming,
modern techniques such as greenhouse farming, urban agriculture, precision agriculture for
crop suitability assessment and so on can be adopted. On the other hand, ranching has become
a more viable alternative for cattle breeding. It would provide an opportunity for the herders
to stay in a particular location and care for their cattle.
CONCLUSION
Escalating conflicts between herders and farmers are among Nigeria’s most pressing security
challenges. This could potentially generate bloodshed on an even wider scale unless federal
government makes ending this violence a national priority. Taraba State governments also
need to formulate and implement steps to address the needs and grievances of all sides
transparently and equitably. Exploring the symbiotic economic benefits between farmers and
herders could enhance peaceful coexisting. Strengthening law enforcement, supporting local
conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms, establishing and protecting grazing reserves
Page 10 of 10
237
Audu, C. T., & Audu, D. I.-A. (2023). Exploring The Symbiotic Economic Benefits Between Farmers and Herders to Promote Peaceful Coexistence in
Taraba State Nigeria. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 228-237.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.15299
would all make a significant and immediate difference. In the longer term, the greater challenge
will be curbing the arms influx and, crucially, addressing the environmental trends that are
forcing herders to migrate. Failure would spell greater danger for a country already battling
other severe security challenges.
References
Abah, R. C. & Petja, M. (2015). The Socio-economic Factors affecting Agricultural Development in the Lower River
Benue Basin. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare 5 (24).
Abbas, I. M. (2012). No retreat, no surrender conflict for survival between pastoralists and farmers in northern
Nigeria. European Science Journal 8(1): 331 – 349.
Nwangoro N. (2023). At Least Eight Killed as Herders, Farmers Clash in Taraba. Retrieved on 20th June, 2023
from https://www.channelstv.com.
Bello, M. (2015) ‘How to Solve the Fulani Herdsmen Versus Farmers Clashes in Nigeria by MIYETTI Allah’,
Premium Times Online Newspaper, 14 October 2015 Available at: http://www.premium-times-ng.com.html
Girotto, E., Ceretta, C.A., Lourenzi, C.R., Lorensini, F., Tiecher, T., Vieira, R.C.B., Trentin, G., Basso, C.J., Brunetto, G.
(2013). Nutrient transfers by leaching in a no-tillage system through soil treated with repeated pig slurry
applications. Nutrient Cycling in Agro-ecosystems 95, 115-131.
Mehedi, T.A., Siddique, M.A. & Shahid, S.B. (2012). Effect of urea and cow dung on growth and yield of carrot.
Journal of Bangladesh Agricultural University, 10, 9-13.
Peace and Security Forum (2017). Resolving the Herders/Farmers Conflict in Nigeria, Policy Brief.
Popoola, Y. A., Kehinde, A.S., Oladele-Bukola, M.O. and Banjoko, O. J. (2021). Nutritional potential of yam peel
(Discorea rotundata) as feed resource for growing snails (Archachatina marginata). Journal of American Science,
17(1),1-5
Ugwumba, G. (2018). Growing impact of the Pastoral Conflict. Retrieved January 23rd 2023 from
https://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/growing-impact-pastoral-conflict.