The State and the Management of Herder–Farmer conflicts in the North-West Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria, 2010–2020

Abstract

This study examined the roles of the state in the management of farmers-herder conflicts in the North-West geopolitical zone, between 2010 and 2020. The specific focus of the study, however, was on the nexus between government’s strategies of conflict resolution and the incidence of herders – farmers’ conflicts in the North-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria Anchored on the basic propositions adapted from the Marxist theory of the neo-colonial state and relevant qualitative data generated through documentary and survey methods and analysed using content and textual analysis, the study found that the unwillingness of the Federal Government to implement basic strategies of conflict resolution account for the inability to mitigate the rising incidence of herders-farmers conflicts in the North-West geopolitical zone of, with enormous humanitarian implications. The study thus underscored the need for effective implement of Comprehensive Livestock Development Plan to holistically mediate agrarian contestations, particularly between farmers and herders. Keywords: Natural resources, Nigerian state, open ranching, conflict resolution, farmer herder conflict