With the onset of the farming season and renewed fears of clashes between farmers and herders, stakeholders have called for stronger community-based conflict resolution mechanisms to prevent disputes from escalating into violence across rural communities in Niger State.
The call was made in Minna during a conflict resolution training organised by the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development, FG/IFAD, under the Value Chain Development Programme, VCDP, through the Commodity Alliance Forum, CAF, in Minna for leaders from the programme’s nine participating local government areas.
Speaking at the event, Director of the Abdulsalami Abubakar Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development Studies, AAIPSDS, Dr Diamond Preye Nebechukwu, said conflicts in rural communities are becoming more complex and extend beyond farmer-herder disputes.
She identified climate change, insecurity, migration, pressure on limited land, disappearing grazing routes, land ownership disputes and family disagreements as major drivers of conflict.
According to her, lasting peace can only be achieved by addressing the root causes of disputes rather than focusing on their consequences.
She stressed that traditional institutions remain critical to preventing conflicts from escalating, urging governments and development partners to strengthen their capacity through continuous training.
Nebechukwu also said mediators must remain impartial while identifying the interests, needs and positions of all parties involved before attempting to resolve any dispute.
Secretary of the Niger State Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF), Abdulazeez Abubakar, said the training became necessary as farming activities intensify, a period when disputes between farmers and herders over farmland and grazing routes often increase.
He said participants were being equipped to resolve disputes through dialogue at the community level instead of allowing them to degenerate into cases requiring police intervention or litigation.
According to him, the participants will step down the knowledge in their various communities to promote peaceful coexistence and reduce recurring conflicts.
The Niger State VCDP Programme Coordinator, Hajiya Hadizat Isah, on her part said conflict management was integrated into the programme because violence and communal crises undermine agricultural production and rural development.
She said the training focused on equipping CAF leaders with practical skills to prevent and manage farmer-herder disputes, land-related conflicts and other community disagreements, adding that the leaders are expected to sustain the initiative after the programme ends.
The meeting brought together officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), community leaders, LGs leaders of the CAF, other stakeholders.
