NEW REPORT REVEALS BLUEPRINT TO CUT AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES DISPUTES, AS CONFLICTS RISE DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

 

New report proposes plan to reduce conflicts between farmers and herders in Nigeria Over 4,000 thought to have died from disputes with $13 billion cost to economy as conflicts rise due to climate crisis Search for Common Ground’s new report reveals means of de-escalating tensions, including sharing of traditional cultures.

The world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organisation, Search for Common Ground, has conducted new research to understand how to prevent conflicts between farmers and herders in Nigeria over scarce resources.

The researchers spoke to community members, farmers and herders in Adamawa and Taraba states in the north-east of Nigeria where significant reductions in crop yields have been reported as a result of these conflicts.

It is also estimated in the report that farmer-herder disputes have claimed over 4,000 lives between 2018 and 2021, as well as costing the national economy more than $13 billion a year, nearly three times as much as the country spends importing food.

The disputes often centre around rival claims over natural resources between farmers and herders over access to land, water and the best grazing route and have resulted in crop theft and violence. What’s more, the report explains that these tensions have been exacerbated in recent years by climate change, with unpredictable patterns of rainfall disrupting farming and grazing cycles, as well as making critical resources more scarce.

Despite this, the study revealed new ways of building cohesion between these groups and

de-escalating conflicts. ‘Cultural exchange’ programmes, for example, allowed each group to experience, understand and enjoy the rich cultural traditions of the other through storytelling,

music, dance and sport. Particularly effective, they found, were joint football matches, community dances and the use of theatre to unpack conflict dynamics.

Search for Common Ground found that techniques such as these have led to a significant rise in cohesion between farmer and herder groups, with 96% of locals claiming relationships between the groups had improved over the past year.

Community leaders, like village elders, imams and pastors, have taken on the role of mediator as well as working with members of local communities to spot the early warning signs of conflict and intervene before it grows. The study found that 60% of those in the community felt there was improved access to early warning signs like these as a result.

Search for Common Ground make a range of recommendations to embed best practice including increasing the number of cultural exchange programmes, setting up regular sessions for dialogue between farmers and herders and introducing community-led surveillance programmes to stop crop theft.

Francis Sala-Diakanda, West Africa Regional Director for Search for Common Ground, said:

“Climate change is not just disrupting seasons, it's destabilizing communities. As land dries up and tensions rise, we must act urgently to mediate conflict and reimagine how people live together. This report shows that peace is not a passive hope but a shared responsibility built in the spaces where herders and farmers dance together, play together, and recognize eachothers humanity. The time to invest in local solutions is now, before silence falls where harvests once grew.”

Boniface Nakulmide is a farmer, husband and father of four children. Speaking about his experiences of conflict with local herders and the impact of the Search programme, he said:

“The clashes were almost routine. Farmers and herders often fought over land and resources. When animals wandered into farms, it wasn’t just about crops - it was personal. Lives were lost, and relationships were torn apart…But Search taught us to look out for signs of trouble and address them before conflicts could escalate. I learned that it’s better to prevent violence than to look for ways to fix things afterward. Before, I saw herders as my enemies but now I realise they are my partners. My farm has benefited from the manure they give me, and we both gain when we work together. People know me as the ‘peacemaker’!”

Hauwa Musa is a herder from Libbo ward of Shelleng Local Government Area and has played an active role in teaching other herders methods of peacebuilding. She said:

“I told them that I was not here to impose solutions but to listen, to learn and to work with them to find a path to peace. I said they have the power to change things and that peace starts with small steps talking to each other, understanding the other side and working together to find solutions. Peace is not something that just happens; it is something we must build.”

Babatunde David PhD, author of the report, said:

“Our study reaffirmed findings that trust in authorities, inclusive natural resource management and social cohesion are all key factors in preventing violent farmer-herder conflicts. It’s reassuring to see the positive impacts from the study of reductions in violence and the bolstering of local peace structures.”

Notes to editors

Contact

Nelson Asoh, nasoh@sfcg.org, +2347039132593

Temisan Etietsola, tetietsola@sfcg.org +2348037224813