Fulani Herders Research Articles

Conflict between Fulani herders and village landowners in Ghana: capitalism, climate change, and peasant struggles

In discussions of the capitalism–climate change interplay in the agrarian world, the intrusiveness of corporate and state-guided capitalism has been pre-eminent. This ‘hard capital’ focus obscures indirect linkages like how ‘soft capital’, although disoriented from raping nature, unlike the former, exacerbates climate change effects in ways that accelerate the destabilisation of agrarian economies. This indirect connection is evident in agrarian settings in Ghana’s Northern Region, where the resultant peasants’ revolt is directed at neither corporations nor the state but rather local landowning elites (soft capital), who transfer the burden of the twin pressures of climate change and hard capital (state intervention and privatisation of fertiliser supply) to their labourers. Using Marxian social relations of production as a theoretical lens, this paper unpacks how this capitalism–climate change interface plays out in Gushiegu, Northern Ghana. By highlighting that interface and the resultant agrarian struggles, this paper does two things: (1) invites agrarian scholars to transcend the commercialisation of agriculture and carbon capitalism in analysing how the intersection of capitalism and climate change destabilises the agrarian world; (2) encourages scholarship that transcends the more obvious herder–farmer conflicts over land and water in examining the destabilising effects of the aforementioned intersection.

Personnel Psychology and Security

The personnel selection based on ethnoreligious factors, with the readoption of Fulani herders, bandits, and unknown shooters into the defense organization, has challenged Nigerian troops’ perceived individual employability, perceived work ability, and fit between person and vocation. Also, these have made personnel career adaptability a severe challenge for Nigerian soldiers. We examined person-job fit as a moderator in the associations of perceived individual employability, perceived work ability, and career adaptability. Two hundred and fifty-two Nigerian military personnel between eighteen and sixty years of age (M = 39; SD = .964) participated in the study. Through purposeful and convenient sampling techniques, we collected data using the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale, the Self-Perceived Individual Employability Scale, the Perceived Work Ability Scale, and the Person-Job-Fit Scale. Our findings showed that individual employability, perceived work ability, and person-job fit significantly predict military personnel’s career adaptation. Person-job fit moderated the association of perceived individual employability and military career adaptation. However, it did not influence the association between perceived work ability and military career adaptation. Our study showed that person-job fit, individual employability with work ability, and career adaptation are prerequisites for enlistment, deployment for combat, and well-being after combat experiences. Practical implications are that the insecurity challenges in Nigeria would have been mitigated if defense organizations had selected enlisted personnel for military work and deployment based on work ability, employability, and person-job fit so that they could quickly adapt to their careers and fight these insecurity challenges. Also, our study suggests that educational qualifications are not essential for military enlistment and deployment. We highlighted our study’s limitations and suggested further work on the topic.

The Fulani in Nigeria and their Herding System: Is it an Agro-Business or a Culture?

The Fulani ethnic group is a Nilo-Saharan language spoken over a large area of westAfrican countries (Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Cameroon and Senegal). The Fulani have long history of herding and in Nigeria; the practice is enmeshed in their culture. This study seeks to investigate the Fulani culture and their herding system; is it an agrobusiness or a culture? The study being a nonexperimental research adopted survey research design. Data were elicited from array of documentary facts drawn from both published and unpublished materials. The study revealed that herding is supposed to be subsumed as an agro-business but it has been enmeshed in the culture of the Fulani’s herders in Nigeria. The study also found that the policies of Nigeria government on herding seem to treats the Fulani herding system as more of a culture and most of the policies of the state on herding are not properly planned and do not augur well with other users of land resources. The study recommends among others the need to introduce modern herding practices among the Fulani herders and they should be educated to embrace modern realities of the 21 centuries (urbanization, population outburst, intense increase on land resources, climate change, etc.) modern practices of herding (Ranching, Cow colony, Fattening, etc.).

Land use practices and farmer–herder conflict in Agogo: dynamics of traditional authority and resistance

The existing literature has extensively explored the causes of farmer–herder conflicts in Ghana. However, there has been limited investigation into the relationship between royal hegemony over customary lands and the persistent nature of farmer–herder conflicts in the country. This study contributes to the understanding of agrarian conflicts in Ghana by examining the interconnectedness of cultural and social practices of land access with the intractability of farmer–herder conflicts in Agogo. The study utilised a qualitative research approach, involving 33 participants recruited through maximum variation purposive sampling. Data was gathered through interviews and focus group discussions. Inductive thematic analysis revealed that social practices of land access hold greater influence than legal provisions, granting significant power over lands to traditional authorities in Agogo. We argue that the on-going intransigence of traditional rulers regarding land access, coupled with the persistent resistance from smallholder farmers through attempts to evict Fulani herders, as well as the resistance demonstrated by the Fulani herders themselves, are key factors contributing to the intractable nature of farmer–herder conflicts in Agogo. This study emphasises the need for a deeper understanding of the cultural and social dimensions underlying land access practices and their impact on farmer–herder conflicts.

Characterization of food insecurity among the forced migrants in northern Nigeria

Food insecurity affects many people worldwide. More than one billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa are food insecure. About 35% of this population, representing 346 million, are food insecure because of conflicts and political unrest. About 1.6 million people forced to migrate from northern to Central Nigeria in 2018 alone are food insecure. Food insecurity reduces people’s choice, power, and opportunity to access and control their food practices. Forced migrants have difficult circumstances, including physical restrictions on food access, and cultural and financial means during the migration. However, there is little knowledge of how the forced migrants engaged and managed their food practices throughout their migration period, making the form of food insecurity they experienced poorly understood. This calls for an investigation to increase food security for forced migrants. This article draws on the investigation from an in-depth Narrative interview involving 25 people who had experienced forced migration in northern Nigeria to address this gap. Unstructured interviews were, used for data collection to allow a wide range of responses. Their responses were audio recorded and subsequently transcribed and written in English. The contextual data that resulted from transcriptions of the audio data were subjected to computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) and the data was analyzed. The study's objectives are to find out the forms of food security/insecurity experienced by the forced migrants, their experiences, and the nature of the migration. The finding revealed that violent conflicts caused by terrorists, Fulani herders, religious bigots, and communal disagreement caused forced migration in the region and resulted in short-term, intermittent, and long-term food insecurity. Short-term food insecurity was more devastating for the migrants than intermittent and long-term food insecurity.

Nigerian identity crisis: what’s behind the growing insecurity and separatism?

ABSTRACT There is a debate on whether ethnicity is a tool or the driver of intergroup conflict. Arguably, African ethnic conflicts emerge from colonization, struggle for political power and resources, lack of shared national values and identity. Conceptually, this article analyzes how colonization is linked to African ethnic crisis, how ‘ethno-social identity’ is conceptualized as well as the relationship between ethnic polarization, ‘ethnocorruption’, insecurity, and separatism, with a focus on Nigeria. The article evaluates the causes of state dysfunctionality and identity dilemma of the ethnocentric federalism reflected in the ‘Who I am of the population’. There is a crisis related to the state of origin (indigenes and non-indigenes), as well as the ethnicity identity dilemma of ‘I am Hausa’, ‘I am Fulani’, ‘I am Yoruba’, ‘I am Igbo’, etc. A minority which can be classified as ‘tribeless elites’ dominate the political space. In recent times, the country has become embroiled in kidnapped democracy, insecurity, and corruption. There are more worrying conflicts – Fulani herders and non-Fulani farmers’ clashes over arable land, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and Unknown Gunmen occurrences – which threaten the unity of the country. The socio-economic underdevelopment and breakdown of moral values have forced thousands of young people to join the Obidient movement or ‘Japa’ overseas.

Assessment of Rural Banditry and Socio-Economic Implication in Niger State: A Focus on Shiroro Local Government Area Niger State, 2015-2021

Banditry in Northern Nigeria, notably pervasive in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Niger, Kaduna, Kebbi, Abuja, and Kogi states, has evolved into a dire daily occurrence, primarily attributed to Fulani herders wielding sophisticated weapons. This issue has led to extensive displacement, loss of lives, and shattered communities, exacerbated by a lackadaisical government response, effectively turning criminal acts into lucrative enterprises. The socio-economic fabric of affected areas has been profoundly torn, with thousands displaced, lives lost, and families shattered. This violence has escalated into conflicts between herders and farmers, disrupting agricultural activities and posing a threat to food security. Focusing on Shiroro Local Government Area in Niger State, the study investigates banditry’s socio-economic effects between 2015 and 2021. It highlights poverty’s role in fuelling armed banditry and its substantial impact on socio-economic activities, as indicated by 64.5% of respondents strongly agreeing on poverty’s influence. Statistical analyses support a significant relationship between poverty and banditry, as well as economic challenges and banditry attacks. The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive interventions addressing poverty, unemployment, and governance failures to curb rural armed banditry and foster socio-economic stability. Based on the findings, this study recommends: equipping security agencies, supporting youth in farming, intelligence gathering, and community engagement to combat this menace and restore peace to affected areas.

Towards more inclusive community landscape governance: Drivers and assessment indicators in northern Ghana

Community-based approaches to landscape governance are considered more legitimate, equitable, and inclusive ways to manage natural resources and more effective in achieving conservation and livelihood goals than centralised and top-down approaches. In Ghana, the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission devolved decision-making authority over natural resources through the Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) governance system. While there is a growing body of literature on the CREMA governance model, few studies have examined the inclusiveness of its decision-making processes. This study aims to fill this gap by identifying the drivers that hinder or foster the inclusiveness of community governance in the Western Wildlife Corridor of northern Ghana and developing a set of inclusivity assessment indicators. Based on data collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and observations, we found that several stakeholder groups remain at the margins of the CREMA governance system and feel excluded, particularly Fulani herders, women, and youth. Based on our findings and the literature, we present a set of assessment indicators for inclusive CREMA governance. However, these indicators are unlikely to be fully met because of persisting socio-cultural barriers and power asymmetries. We argue that measures such as capacity building, empowering marginalised social groups, promoting their participation in decision-making, and a bottom-up approach towards creating CREMAs are needed to improve the inclusiveness of CREMA governance. Beyond the CREMAs, the inclusivity indicators developed in this study have broad applicability to environmental and landscape governance.

Migratory Pastoralism, Herders-Farmers Conflicts, and the Ruga Settlement Policy in North Central Nigeria

ABSTRACT: North Central Nigeria has experienced a series of deadly conflicts between Fulani herders and farmers. Contestation over ecological space and natural resources, prompted by climate- induced drought, has promoted a migratory form of pastoralism. The influx of Fulani herders in the region has triggered deadly eco-related conflicts between the host communities and the Fulani herders. Consequently, the RUGA settlement policy was unilaterally introduced to prevent migratory pastoralism, including, among others, to provide an immobile or stationary system of pastoralism in the host communities. This paper explains why and how host communities opposed the RUGA settlement policy in North Central Nigeria. As a significant contribution to the literature, its findings align with some theories that inform the possibility of host communities’ resistance to top-down government policies, some of which are highlighted as implementation barriers to the RUGA settlement scheme. The paper acknowledges the relevance of participatory, inclusive, and consensus-based conflict resolution strategies, particularly at local community levels .

Silence as Leadership Communication: Public Perception, Interpretation, and Negotiated Meaning

Every communication encounter primarily starts because initiators aim to inform and influence others. Silence is a form of nonverbal communication that can be deployed by those communicating. Since nonverbal communication complements the verbal form of communication, it is expected that it is effectively used to enhance the sender-receiver’s communication gains. This paper investigated leaders’ communication style and if leaders’ silence affected public perception, interpretation, and the meaning assigned to a communicated message, using the former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, and the Nigerian public as cases. It adopted a qualitative approach—an in-depth interview method, using an interview guide as the instrument for data collection. The data analyzed showed that adopting silence as a form of communication, especially during a crisis, would harm the human communication experience. Buhari’s silence toward Fulani herders’ attacks affected how the masses perceived, interpreted, and assigned meaning to his action. It allowed conspiracy theories to thrive as public opinion showed that his silence encouraged the herders’ nefarious actions.

Anchored in History: Understanding the Persistence of Eco-Violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt through Collective Memory

The Nigerian Middle Belt is the epicentre of violent conflicts between Fulani herders and sedentary farmers over land and agricultural resources called eco-violence; existing research has not adequately addressed the persistence of these conflicts. Using Social Representations Theory (SRT), this paper examines empirical case studies conducted in April 2018 and May 2022 in Benue State, Nigeria, to determine why these conflicts persist. The paper argues that contending parties anchor, objectify, and socially represent past contestations in pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial Nigeria in present-day realities and events in the Middle Belt, leading to the re-experience of collective memories and their consequences on people’s violent collective behaviour. Consequently, people resort to violence to redress present grievances viewed through the prism of past events. To promote sustainable peace when tackling deeply-rooted conflicts, it is essential to comprehend the historical context and the significance of collective memory while employing a comprehensive strategy for conflict resolution. Implementing the Cognitive Reappraisal Technique to address issues related to collective memories is critical to this approach.

Self-defence against Fulani herders’ aggression: a demand for licenced firearms in Plateau state, Nigeria

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the clamour by the people of Plateau State, Nigeria, for more licences to bear firearms for self-defence because of the continuous failure of the Nigerian State to defend them against the Fulani herders’ aggression. More guns less crime deterrence theory served as the framework of analysis, which posits that because criminals are rational beings, they will choose not to attack when they know many people have legitimate firearms.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from four purposefully selected local government areas of the state. This study’s sample size was 400. Therefore, 400 copies of the Google Forms questionnaire were administered. In addition, seven key informant interviews and nine focus group discussions were also conducted.FindingsThis research results showed the following: while self-defence and issuance of more licenses were supported by 84.8% and 85.0% of respondents, respectively, they also argued that the insurgency would likely end if more people carried legally acquired firearms. Again, the study showed a positive correlation between the government’s failure in security and the demand for self-defence exercises against the Fulani herdsmen’s insurgency, this study recommends more licensed firearms for the people of Plateau State.Originality/valueThis study recommends more licenced firearms for the people of Plateau State.

Pastoralists and farmers conflict in Benue state: Changes in climate in northern Nigeria as a contributing factor

Studies show that the skirmish between Fulani pastoralists and farmers is primarily a dispute over water and land use. A need for increased agricultural production and expanded grazing pastures has increased the demand for land. This conflict stands out because of the boldness of the combatants and the various proposed explanations for its cause. While many studies have simplified this crisis into grazing, farming, and water disputes, it is imperative to acknowledge that climate change has offset the balance in distributing these resources. While farmers fault the Fulani herders for failing to control their animals, leading to crop damage, the Fulani herders complain to the government, indicating that farmers are attacking them with the intention of stealing their animals. The findings revealed how climate change in northern Nigeria escalated this conflict. These results suggest that urgent measures are needed before these conflicts destabilise the state.

Victimisation by Policy Exclusion: The Case of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria

This paper discusses the victimisation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria by policy exclusion. It asserts that while in policy, Government bears the primary responsibility for the protection and assistance of all IDPs irrespective of the cause of displacement, in practice, humanitarian response plans for the protection and assistance of IDPs exclude victims of armed Fulani herdsmen conflicts from assistance. It also found that several proposed federal bills to address the armed Fulani herdsmen-farmer conflicts have focused on securing land from victimised farming communities to establish settlements for the Fulani herders. However, none of the bills has prohibited arbitrary displacement; return, resettlement or rehabilitation of persons displaced by the armed Fulani herdsmen. The paper concludes that the exclusion of victims of the armed Fulani herdsmen conflict from national humanitarian response plan is a strategy of Government that is unwilling to recognise and address the armed Fulani herdsmen as a national security challenge. It recommends that the Nigerian Government holistically addresses internal displacement and provide equal protection and assistance to all victims of displacement as stipulated by the Nigerian national policy on internal displacement.

Confronting Challenges of Insecurity through Strategic Missions Activities

Insecurity is a universal concern because of its increasing setback in all nations. Africa suffers a lot from the adverse effects of insecurity on the world. For instance, Nigeria, the most populous Black country in the world, has, over the last ten to twelve years, experienced various insecurity challenges. It includes kidnapping, Fulani herders attacks, and armed robbery, which have led to the destruction of lives and properties and fear and panic among the indigenous and settlers (dwellers). Several methods of solving this menace of insecurity have proven over the years to be insufficient as insecurity remains on the increase in some regions worldwide; there is a need to respond to the insecurity problems through the activities of the Church (Christian missions). This report provides a concise missiological response to the insecurity challenges in the contemporary world. This combination of conventional and spiritual methodology in resolving insecurity problems is a vital step to be taken by stakeholders in fighting it. Spiritual input of the Church, such as prayer, Bible study and creating public awareness are parts of the strategic missiological response to the insecurity challenges. Therefore, through the descriptive research method, the writer will elucidate the current trend of insecurity in the world, its causes, and the missiological response to insecurity and draw a logical conclusion.

Ethnicity and Motivations for Fulani Herders and Host Communities Aggression in Nigeria: Fulani Versus Indigenous People of Plateau State

This paper investigated how ethnicity affects the perceptions of what motivates the aggression between Fulani herders and the Plateau indigenous people of Nigeria. The research was conducted in four selected and most aggression-affected Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Plateau State: Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Jos-South, and Riyom. The sample size of 400 was determined using Yamane Taro’s sample size formula. The study adopted a mixed method of quantitative (survey) and qualitative – Key informant Interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) for data collection. Four hundred copies of the questionnaire were distributed, and seven KII and nine FGDs were conducted. The findings indicated that the Fulani and their host communities have different perceptions of the motivation for the aggression between them. The study found a relationship between ethnicity and four out of the five identified drivers of the attacks in Plateau State. This study recommended that the Plateau State government should return the displaced communities taken over by the Fulani herders to change the indigenous people’s perception that the aggression is not about land-grabbing, Fulanization, and Jihad. The Government should also arrest and prosecute cattle rustlers to stem the tide of the attacks in Plateau State.

Farmers-Herders Conflicts in Nigeria: Rethinking the Influence of Foreign Herders in North Central Region

The Farmers-herders conflict can be said to be as old as Nigeria's history, but has increased significant in the past decades. The migration of Fulani herders from neighbouring countries due to the porosity of the Nigeria’s borders has escalated the conflict, leading to security problems in the country. This paper explores the influence of foreign herders on the farmers-herders conflicts in North Central of Nigeria. The methodology used in this study is the qualitative approach; using the semi-structured interviews in collecting primary data, and the use of journals, articles, online publications and unpublished works related to the study as sources for secondary data. The study found an exacerbation of conflict occasioned by the influx of foreign herders and recommends that improved immigration regulations to ensure that all migrant herders entering the nation are properly registered and identified by their home country in line with the ECOWAS Transhumance Protocol. It recommends further that a task force should be established to work with the previously settled Fulani herders to detect and remove migrant herders who cross borders illegally, to assist in the internal management of migrant herders. Keywords: Conflicts, Farmers-herders, Forieign herders, Migration, Porous border

Correlation between Drivers of Belligerent Fulani Herders’ Criminality and the Probability of Dying in Plateau State, Nigeria

This paper examined the probability of dying by the crimes of belligerent Fulani herders in Plateau State, Nigeria. The study adopted the Rational Choice theoretical framework of analysis. The study was conducted in Plateau State, Nigeria, with a 400-person sample size, and data were collected using a survey method. The findings revealed a correlation between the factors that led belligerent Fulani herders in Plateau State to conduct crimes and differences in the likelihood of dying due to those factors. This article recommended: the deradicalization of primordial religious ideologies, the return of displaced people, and the revision of grazing reserve law.

Transhumant Pastoralism and Farmer-Grazier Conflicts in the Ndop Plain, North West Region, Cameroon

This study examines the impacts of rainfall variability on transhumant pastoralist activities and farmer/herder conflicts in the Ndop plain. Using a mixed methods approach, inter-annual rainfall fluctuations, coefficient of variations (CV) were used to establish variability while the rainfall Seasonality was used to identify seasonal contrast. 150 questionnaires were administered to purposively selectednative crop farmers and Mbororo Fulani herders.. The annual rainfall variability is shown by a coefficient of variation of 18.11%, decreasing trend, and a high inter-annual variability around the mean of 1802.95mm. The impacts include; drying up of pasture lands and a fall in the quality of pasture 100%(150), shrinking of river courses and water shortages 84% (126), Outbreak of diseases and pests 88.6%(133), and fluctuations in the transhumant calendar 67.3%(101). The result has been conflicts due to competition over constrained resources and stray animals that destroy crops during transhumance. The stakeholders in this sector need to include climate change communication in this domain and improve rangeland management policies to reflect the state of environmental degradation.

Factors Influencing Changing Boundaries and/or Routes of Fulani Herders in the North Eastern Corridors of Ghana: A Count Model Approach

This study was designed to examine the factors influencing the movement or changing of herding routes among herders in the North – Eastern corridor of the Northern and Northeast Regions of Ghana. The study followed a cross-sectional descriptive survey research design and adopted the Poison and Negative Binomial regression Models. A total of 210 Fulani herders and seven community/opinion leaders from seven communities across four (4) districts were randomly selected for this study. Duration of a herder’s stay in a community (P≤.01), being given a range of land for kraaling or grazing (P≤.01), having access to education for children (P≤0.1), losing cattle before (P≤.01) and ever being harmed or witnessing same due to conflict (P≤.01) are important factors that prevent or reduce the number of times a herder changes location or route. On the other hand, factors including hired herding (P≤.01), years of education of a herder (P≤.05) and restriction or lack of grazing land for cattle (P≤.1) are some of the most compelling factors that lead to changes in location or herding routes of Fulani herders. Fulani herders should be registered and integrated into the various communities whilst encouraging them to educate their children and have permanent living status.