Effective Strategies for Resolution and Management of Farmers-Herdsmen Conflict in the North Central Region of Nigeria
Conflict between Farmers and Herdsmen in the North Central Region of Nigeria is an age long phenomenon which became severe shortly after the transfer of power from Military to Civil Rule in the country on 29 th May 1999. In its current stage, the conflict has assumed religion features and thus serving as one of the major threats to Nigeria`s national security. This research examined some of the effective strategies that can be adopted in the proper resolution and management of the conflict. It was conducted with the used of both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. Closed ended questionnaire was administered on sixty respondents systematically chosen among Farmers, Herdsmen and Local Government Officials selected from the six states located in the North Central Region of Nigeria. The questionnaire were administered by the Researchers and all were completed by them and returned back to the Researchers who analyzed data collected through this method with the used of Positive Correlation Analysis (PCA). Promotion of religious tolerance and well as the establishment of effective mechanism for conflict resolution and management in the region were found out as part of the effective strategies for resolution and management of Farmers- Herdsmen Conflict in the North Central Region of Nigeria. The Researchers recommended that forum and congress for promoting religious tolerance and harmony among Farmers and Herdsmen be established in the six states across the North Central Region of Nigeria. They also recommended that existing traditional institutions across the region should be empowered to effectively resolve and manage conflict between Farmers and Herdsmen.
