The Effects of Cattle Herders and Crop Farmers Conflicts on Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria
Abanyam, Noah Lumun
Department of Sociology
Taraba State University, Jalingo. Taraba State, Nigeria
Email: noahlumun@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The intensification of deadly armed resource use conflict between cattle herders and crop farming communities across Nigeria and the lack of political will and/or capacity by the Nigerian Government to identify the root cause(s) and put a permanent solution to the conflicts has disastrous implications on the country’s economy and development generally. This study is aimed at assessing the Effects of Cattle Herders and Crop Farmers Conflict on Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria. Marxist conflict and Tragedy of the common theoretical perspectives were both used in analyzing the study. The study revealed that cattle herders and crop farmer’s conflict result to loss of many lives and property. The conflict is also linked with food insecurity (famine) and high cost of food stuffs leading to deepening hunger and absolute poverty as well as social and political instability as business activities and many schools are closed down. Moreso, social infrastructural facilities including schools, hospitals, and places of worship, residential houses, roads and even airports are neither destroyed nor occupied by cattle herders’ militias or crop farmer’s refugees. It was recommended that herdsmen should establish ranches to curtail the idea of grazing over farmlands. Government at all levels should barn open grazing and indiscriminate movement of cattle on roads. Herdsmen and farmers should be educated on the modern practices of rearing cattle and farming activities and need for peaceful coexistence. Protection of lives and property should be the cardinal objective of government at all levels. Herders should monitor the activities of their members from within and the deviant ones should be exposed and punished. Strong and viable mechanisms of resolving conflicts should be established between herders and farming communities. The study conclude that the federal government should as a matter of urgent respond adequately to the incessant attacks and promptly deploy well trained impartial security operatives to protect lives and property in the affected communities.
Keywords: Effects, Cattle Herders, Crop Farmers, Conflict, Socio-economic Development
