ISSUES AND PERCEPTIONS OF FARMER-HERDER CONFLICT AND SUSTAINABLE PEACE IN NORTH-CENTRAL NIGERIA

Farmer-herder conflict is not a new security threat in Nigeria. It is concern that gas generating wide range of issues and perceptions across many divides in the North-Central, its environs and the country at large. In recent times, the media, both traditional and social media was awash with narratives emerged from the increasing issues and different narratives and perceptions about farmers and herders conflicts in the country. Thus, emphasis on North-Central Nigeria particularly Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa States was born out of the persistent conflicts arising from and complicated by farmer-herder vested interest.  Currently, the subject matter is under-exploited and under-researched.  Existing extant studies in that regard tend to have focused on farmer-herder conflicts without comprehensively emphasizing the philosophy and ideology operating by the two parties in fueling the conflicts.  The study adopts community case study approach. Two states were purposefully selected, namely, Plateau and Nasarawa, these states were highly affected by the conflict in recent years. Two local governments were randomly selected from each state. Individuals were selected for Key Informant Interview (KII), FGD and Study Chart from  Community Security Architecture Dialogue (CSAD)which consist of; All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN),Traditional leaders, Inter-State religious leaders, Youth leaders among others. 10 KII, 3 FGDs and 10 SCs were carried out across the targeted communities. Findings show that issues and perceptions of farmers/herders’ conflict in North-Central Nigeria includes: divergent of perception in the process of survival; land grabbing, night grazing and; water scarcity and insufficient pasturelands; teenage herders and profiling/stereotyping. This calls for an urgent need for government at all levels in collaboration with relevant Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs),Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), to create effective awareness, advocacy and sensitization towards promoting sustainable peace , trust ,confidence building and environmental sustainability among others  to manage and mitigate the protracted impasse of farmer-herder in North-Central Nigeria..