An agriculturist and Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, CRIN, Dr. Patrick Adebola has blamed increased clashes between farmers and herders on declining traditional values and inadequate education.
Adebola who noted that some of the clashes are political and fuelled by selfish desires said they pose grave dangers to food security in the country.
Adebola, a genetic and crop breeding expert with vast international experience in agricultural management, advanced solutions to the problem, during a media interaction. He said the solutions are in proper education, reorientation and going back to ancient communal Justice systems.
“Nigeria is blessed. We are blessed with arable land and water resources. From the north to the south, east and west, hardly will you plant anything that will not germinate. Looking at our great human and natural resources, we are not supposed to have any business with poverty, let alone hunger. If we harness our resources properly, Nigeria will be the envy of other countries. And it can be done.
“Farmers and herders have been living together for ages. In those days, when they had issues there were traditional ways of maintaining peace between them. The system even used to award fines to whoever was faulty. We need to return to those core community values and stop ethnic profiling of crime.
“First we need to educate both sides. The problem have always been there and usually resolved at community level. I think political tone has been brought into it and that is why the problem skyrocketed. In the past, occasionally animals do stray and destroy farms. But they were resolved at the community level. We may not be able to stop herders from rearing their animals. That is their way of life. But we need to carry out effective sensitisation and education of both groups.
“Another way of resolving the issue is by discouraging open grazing. We can come to agreement and encourage herders to go into ranching, that is allocate specific areas for animal husbandry, so that way, crops can also be protected. Herders and farmers must see one another as brothers. They must live in love and mutual respect.
Adebola who emphasised the place of love in resolving the crisis also recommended the use of effective data and intelligence gathering. He made no difference between foreign or indigenous herders insisting that “herders are herders.”
He however tasked government at all levels and community leaders to ensure they have reliable bio-data and other information on herders and farmers operating in specific areas. In the past, herders had leaders and there were regular interface between them and their host communities. We must get back to the basics.”
