An Exposition of Exodus 22:5 on Open Grazing Issue and Food Security: Lesson for the 21st Century Governance in Nigeria
Lawal, Owolabi Joseph Ph.D
Department of Christian Religious Studies
Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State
Email: josephowolabilawal@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
This paper is basically written to fulfill an academic requirement. Nevertheless, it is hoped that it would go a long way to encourage more meaningful development efforts on issues relating to the effects of Fulani herdsmen-farmers crisis on open grazing in Nigeria. This paper is not intended to break an entire new ground, rather, it is undertaken in the premise that it will add to the existing literature in the area of humanities from the biblical perspectives. In addition this paper is very necessary especially at this point of Nigeria’s development, when the crises between the farmers and Fulani herdsmen are becoming a threat to the economic development in Nigeria. This paper is expected to guide Nigeria government and all those whose livelihoods are affected to gain understanding of how Fulani herdsmen-farmers crisis can affect food security. However, the findings will also provide useful background for Nigeria government to adopt the method of Moses in handling grazing problem. The methods employed in this work are: Historical and analytical. The historical method helped to unravel biblical experience of herdsmen, while analytical method helped in analyzing facts gathered from the biblical perspectives to juxtapose the current experience of herdsmen in Nigeria. The paper recommended that, the Nigeria government should learn from the experience of the Bible as a yardstick to control the Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria.
Key Words: Grazing, Herdsmen, Farmers, Governance, Food Security etc.
