What an Irrigation Project Reveals about Farmer-Herder Conflict in Northern Nigeria

Oct 20, 2021 | Daniel Adeoluwa Adeniyi
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Clashes between herders and local farmers in several communities in Nigeria have increased in recent years. The conflict is impacting the economy negatively. Nigeria loses almost US$14 billion in revenue annually as a result of the conflict.

It is clear that the irrigation infrastructure and farmlands have emerged as spaces of contestation. A combination of resource availability and scarcity drives the conflict.Water and land are available but preserved for farmers’ use. Pasture is unavailable for herders. So resources are not absolutely scarce but scarce in relation to the needs of a particular group.

The government’s initial proposal of cattle colonies (which are 30 to 40 times bigger than ranches) to solve the conflict has elicited public outcry about the plan’s practicability and implications. Critics point out its potential to displace people and disrupt livelihoods. This would recreate the problem that contributes to conflict in the irrigation project. Instead, many have advocated for the ranching system, which would involve government helping individuals to acquire land for ranching.