FORUM ON FARMER-HERDER RELATIONS IN NIGERIA (FFARN)

Photo L-R: General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd), Nigeria's Fmr. Head of State/Founder AAAIPSDS & Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa

The Forum on Farmer-Herder Relations in Nigeria (FFARN), held its third meeting in Minna, Niger state on the 30th of October, 2017. The meeting was held at the instance of Search for Common Ground (SFCG) in collaboration with the Abdulsalami Abubakar Institute for Peace & Sustainable Development Studies (AAAIPSDS). I am a valued member of FFARN. The venue of the parley was Gen. Abubakar's Maizube farm in Minna. The farm occupies more than 500 hectares of land!

FFARN is a network of academics and practitioners from both governmental and non-governmental institutions. The purpose of the forum is to bridge the gap between peace practitioners and researchers, share views, experiences and discuss the dynamics of farmer-herder relations with a view to seeking sustainable solutions. The Forum also examines areas of policy research, advocacy and mobilisation, while providing a veritable platform for inter-disciplinary exchange of ideas that generate evidence for multi-level policy influencing (See for example, SFCG's TOR for FFARN).

Some of the participants at the meeting are:

*General Abdusalami Abubakar - Nigeria's fmr. Head of State
*Olubukola Ademola-Adelahin - Team Lead, SFCG
*Dr. M.A. Adedimeji - Director, CPSS, University of Ilorin
*Daniel Okafor - V.P. AFAN
*Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa, Independent Consultant/Conflict Transformation Strategist
*Dr. Diamond Nebechukwu, Director, AAIPSDS
*Abubakar Sadiq, Secretary, North-Central zone, MACBAN
*Thomas Adamu-Edor, Program Coordinator, USIP
*Lantana Abdullahi, Director of Programmes, Plateau Peace-Building Committee
*Dr. Philip Bande, Centre for Peace & Development, Veritas University
*Andy Nkemneme, Research Officer, IPCR
*David Ojelabi, FCT Chair, SPSP
*Henry Unongo, Program Manager, JDPC
*Ene Ede, Gender Advisor, SFCG
*Bitrus Dangiwa, Director, IMC
*Dr. Chris Kwaja, Research Fellow, SFCG
*Mohammed Baba, Researcher, SFCG
*Dr. Saleh Momale, Executive  Director, PARE
*Prof. Adagba Okpagu, Director, CFP, Benue State University
*Nathaniel Awuapila, CEO, CORAFID
*Dr. O.A. Oladejo, Research Fellow, IPSS
*Adeolu Adewunmi, Manager, PSN/Mercy Corps
*Toyin Falade, Executive Director, ISHD
*Haruna Dukku, Commissioner, Livestock, Niger state
*Abdullahi Adamu, Commissioner, Nomadic Affairs, Niger state

The meeting focused on the current re-escalation of violence in some communities in Plateau state as well as the passage of the Open Grazing Prohibition & Ranches Establishment Law 2017 in Benue state. Some of the recommendations from the meeting are as follows (See FFARN communique):

*Stakeholders should identify the lingering conflict as a struggle for economic survival, and desist from un-necessarily giving it ethnic and religious colouration that tend to escalate and proliferate the problem.

*Traditional methods of conflict transformation that sustained peaceful co-existence in the communities in the past should be resuscitated and strengthened to re-build trust and engender confidence-building among the various actors in the conflict, especially the farmers and herders.

*Governments, CSOs and security agencies at all levels should constantly engage one another to create robust and efficient frameworks for early warning (EW) and early response (ER) to conflict.

*Federal, state and local governments should be alive to their responsibilities as guarantors of security all citizens and decisively tackle the proliferation of SALWs in Nigeria.

*The implementation of the Open Grazing & Ranches Establishment Law in Benue State should be re-examined and treated with caution in order to ensure it does not lead to further violence and infringement of the fundamental rights of citizens.

*The security architecture in Plateau state should be reinforced in order to achieve sustainable peace and development.

*The Nigerian media should ensure conflict-sensitive reporting in order to prevent the escalation of prevalent conflicts or trigger new ones. Other stakeholders should moderate their language of engagement in a way that promotes peaceful co-existence.

*Governments, CSOs and other stakeholders should provide effective and efficient psycho-social support for victims and survivors of farmer-herder conflicts as a matter of urgency.

*Farmer-herder relations in Nigeria should be given adequate attention by the federal, state and local governments. The FG should take the lead in coordinating state interventions and creating a framework for the effective management of farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria.

*The FG should fully implement UNSCR 1325, while paying attention to the recently launched National Action Plan (NAP) in Nigeria.

FFARN meets monthly at designated venues in Nigeria...

Related Links:

*Pastoralists/Farmers conflicts in Nigeria    dayokusa.blogspot.com.ng/2014/03/pastoralistsfarmers-conflicts-in-nigeria.html
*6,500 killed, $14b lost to herders/farmers clashes    https://www.pressreader.com/nigeria/daily-trust/20170925/...
*Nigeria: Herders and farmers clash over land    https://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/nigeria-herders-and-farmers-clash-over-land
*Farmers/herders clashes claim 2,500 lives, $13.7b in one year - Abdusalami Abubakar    https://goo.gl/k7Rx3J
*Benue state: Dragging herdsmen to civilisation    https://web.facebook.com/jiki.terkuma/posts/096345436181427
*Climate change, water stress, conflict and migration    https://www.unesco.nl/.../climate-change-water_stress_conflict_and_migration_O.pdf
*Soil-less farming (Hydroponics) can end farmer-herder clashes    sophenfarms.blogspot.com/2017/05/soil-less-farming-can-end-farmer.html/
*In search of common ground for farmer-grazer conflicts    www.villageaid.org/wp.../2016/.../ICSG-expert-interview-survey-final-feb-14.doc...
*Herders against farmers: Nigeria's expanding deadly conflict    www.worldaffairsjournal.org/.../herders-against-farmers-nigerias-expanding-deadly...
*Nigeria: Benue state lost N95b to farmer-herder clashes in 4years    effiezy.com/.../benue-lost-n95-billion-to-farmer-herder-clashes-in-4-years...
*A case study of north-south migration in Nigeria    https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/bitstream/.../akinyemi_temitope_edward_2016.pdf

*Pastoralism & Conflict in the Sudano-Sahel: A review of the literature by Leif Brottem & Andrew McDonnell   https://www.sfcg.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/pastoralism_and_conflict_in_the_sudano_sahel_jul_2020.pdf
*Farmer-Pastoralist conflict in West Africa

  eprints.iondonmet.ac.uk/55/1/informationsocietyandjustice_v1n2_p163-184.pdf
*Nigeria: Project report on conflict mapping into incessant crises between pastoralists and farmers    wepnigeria.net/.../report%20of%20conflict%20mapping%20into...
*From complimentarity to conflict: A historical analysis of farmer-herder relations in Nigeria    https://www.ajoi.info/index.php/ajcr/article/download/
*Cultural relations quarterly review: Farmer-herder relations in Nigeria    culturalrelations.org/.../crq_03_03_omilusi-m-o_roving-terrorists-or-innocuous-cattle-rearers...
*Farmer-herder clashes amplify challenges for beleaguered Nigeria    https://theglobalobservatory.org/2015/07/farmer-herder-nigeria-buhari-abuja-fulani/
*Causes, effects and resolution of farmers-nomadic cattle herders' clashes    www.academicjournals.org/journal/IJSA/article-full-text-pdf/181F8D9696
*The role of community development committees in farmer-herder relations    www.japss.org/upload/23.ofouku.pdf
*Pastoralists vs arable farmers    dic.dlib.mdiana.edu/dbc/bitstream/handle/10535/1034/gefuj080502.pdf
*Rural banditry in northern Nigeria    dayokusa.blogspot.com.ng/2015/08/rural-banditry-in-northern-nigeria.html
*Farmer-Herder crisis can cause food crisis - UN   https://www.today.ng
*Farmer-Herder crisis not religious - MACBAN   https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/farmer-herder-crisis-not-religious-macban.html
*Farmer-Herder crisis may lead Nigeria to Somalia route - IPCR DG   https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/farmer-herder-crisis-may-lead-nigeria-to-somalia-route
*What Nigeria must do to stop farmer-herder clashes   https://www.premiumtimesng.com/.../258168-nigeria-must-stop-farmer-herder-clashes
*9 facts you did not know about farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria   https://www.naija.ng
*Herders against farmers: Nigeria's expanding deadly conflict   https://www.crisisgroup.org/.../nigeria/252-herders-against-farmers-nigerias-expanding...
*ASUU seeks solution to herdsmen-farmers' clashes   thenationonlineng.net/unijos-asuu-seeks-solution-to-herdsmen-farmers-clashes/
*Herdsmen-farmers' clashes today: Ecology, class & categorical politics in contemporary Nigeria   https://www.quicknews-africa.net/herdsmen-farmers-clashes-today-ecology-class-and...
*Policy Brief: Implications of new legislation on farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria   https://www.sfcg.org/policy-brief-legislation-farmer-herder-nigeria/
*Southern & Middle-Belt leaders reject Fulani Radio station funded by FG   saharareporters.com/2019/05/23/southern-and-middle-belt-leaders-reject-fulani-radio-station-funded-by-federal-government...
*Soldiers caught among robbers arrested in Borno   https://www.metrotimesnigeria.com/2019/05/breaking-news-soldiers-caught-among.html
*Boko Haram/Herdsmen: Ethnic nationalities regroup to defend terrorists   https://punch.com/boko-haram-herdsmen-ethnic-nationalities-regroup-to-defend-territories/
*FG begins animal census, identification   https://www.sunnewsonline.com/fg-begins-animal-census-identification/
*Buhari suspends Ruga settlement plans   https:punchng.com/reactions-as-buhari-bows-to-pressure/
*Court dismisses Miyetti Allah's suit challenging open grazing law   https://www.thecable.ng/court-dismisses-myetti-allahs-suit-challenging-anti-open-grazing-law
*Move beyond army in end to farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria   allarica.com/view/group/main/id/00069374.html
*Nigeria: Between BH & farmer-herder attacks: The complexity of the conflict   https::allafrica.com/stories/2019/07300133.html
*Let's focus on underlying factors in farmer-herder conflict   https://allafrica.com/stories/201908080078.html
*SFCG & FFARN   https://t.co/IT5fE8Wb28?amp=1
*Media & peace-building roundtable on farmer-herder relations in Nigeria   https://allafrica.com/stories/201908080078
*Policy Brief on Seeking security & stability: Analysis of security responses to farmer-herder conflict in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria   https://www.sfcg.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Seeking-Security-and-Stability_Nigeria_-Search-for-Common-Ground
*Policy Brief on The impact of farmer-herder conflict on women in Adamawa, Gombe & Plateau states of Nigeria   https://www.sfcg.org...

*The effect of Covid-19 on farmers & pastoralists   https://www.accord.org.za/analysis/the-effects-of-covid-19-on-farmers-and-pastoralists-communities/

30th January, 2019

FFARN's INAUGURAL MEETING IN 2019

On the 24th of January, 2019, the first FFARN meeting for the year was held in Abuja with Bukola Ademola-Adelehin (Project Lead FFARN, SFCG) & Katie Smith (Policy Officer, Global Affairs & Partnerships, SFCG, Washington DC) facilitating. We mapped out our strategy for the year while discussing the impact of farmer-herder relations at the state, national, regional and international levels. There was also an overview of the Conflict Mapping System earlier developed by FFARN. It was suggested that the pictorial format of the document be fine-tuned and patented to prevent plagiarists from appropriating same.

The consensus was that FFARN's advocacy should continue even more vigorously in 2019. After extensive deliberation using certain parameters, the forum arrived at the conclusion that 'Crisis of livelihoods (competition for land & water resources)' should be the focus of FFARN for 2019. Details about what specific aspect of the issue FFARN wants to focus on, who has the power to make the changes we desire, what changes are feasible in 2019, etc were trashed out! A clear distinction was then made between Advocacy, Information sharing & lobbying. SFCG's advocacy principles were spelt out.

There you have it. FFARN is good to go in the year 2019!

L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa (Independent Consultant/Conflict Transformation Strategist & Member, FFARN) & Katie Smith (Policy Officer, Global Affairs & Partnerships, SFCG, Washington DC)