Search For Common Ground Offers Fresh Blueprint to Reduce Farmer-Herder Conflicts in Nigeria.
By Christiana Babayo
The world’s leading peacebuilding organisation, Search for Common Ground has proposed fresh strategies to curb rising farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria, disputes that have claimed more than 4,000 lives and cost the economy an estimated $13 billion annually.
The NGO identified cultural exchange programmes where farmers and herders participate in storytelling, football matches, music, dance, and theatre, as effective ways to build understanding and cohesion between the duo.
Research conducted by Search for Common Ground in Adamawa and Taraba States, highlights how climate change is intensifying competition over scarce resources such as land, water, and grazing routes.
The report noted that unpredictable rainfall patterns and dwindling fertile land have led to recurring violence, crop theft, and widespread mistrust between farming and pastoralist communities.
According to the findings, 96 percent of community members surveyed reported improved relations between the two groups over the past year.
It added that community leaders, including village elders, imams, and pastors, have also been central to peace efforts, serving as mediators and working with locals to detect and respond to early warning signs of conflict.
The report also found that 60 percent of respondents felt there was now greater access to conflict-prevention mechanisms.
According to Francis Sala-Diakanda, West Africa Regional Director for Search for Common Ground, “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 each
other’s humanity. The time to invest in local solutions is now, before silence falls where harvests once grew”
For many residents, the benefits of these interventions have been personal and transformative.
Boniface Nakulmide, a farmer and father of four, recalled the cycle of clashes in his community. “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’!” He noted.
For Hauwa Musa, a herder from Libbo ward of Shelleng Local Government Area who played an active role in teaching other herders methods of peacebuilding.
“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.”
Author of the report, Dr. Babatunde David, emphasised the broader lessons of the research, noting that “Our study reaffirmed that trust in local authorities, inclusive resource management, and social cohesion are all key factors in preventing violent farmer-herder conflicts. It is reassuring to see positive impacts from the programmes in reducing violence and strengthening local peace structures.” He explained.
The organization emphasised scaling up cultural exchanges, establishing regular farmer-herder dialogues, and introducing community-led surveillance programmes to prevent crop theft.
