ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND VIOLENT CONFLICT BETWEEN HERDERS AND FARMERS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper addressed the concern that the herders-farmers conflict debate in Nigeria has overlooked the role of climate change. It notes that although, commentators, especially official position on the issue usually blame it on ethnic politics, religious differences, indigene-settler wrangling, population explosion, expansion of farmland, blocking of grazing routes, ‘xenophobia’ and most recently, passage of anti-open grazing laws by some states et cetera. Conversely, as plausible as these narratives sound, they overlooked the contribution of climate change as threat multiplier in the phenomena. By overlooking this fact, they fail to capture and account for effects of extreme weather events like drought, desertification, change in precipitation and shrinking of water bodies, which compel herders to migrate southwards in search of arable land, water points and pasture for their cattle. Designed as a desk study, the paper noted the point that it was the struggle over access and use rights in addition to attempt by both parties to secure the available natural resources for themselves that usually result in these conflicts.