University researchers from Nigeria and Republic of Benin have suggested ethnic relations and inter-ethnic marriages among others as solutions to the recurring herder-farmer tensions in Nigeria.
The investigators made the suggestions while presenting the report of a study titled ‘Inter-group Relations and Peace Building among Farmers and Pastoralists in Rural Grazing Areas of Nigeria, yesterday, at the University of Ilorin, with academics and students and other stakeholders in attendance.
Speaking at the National Research Fund (NRF)/TetFund 2020 dissemination workshop, the team said the study attempted to establish empirical influence of inter-group relations on peace-building in Rural Grazing Areas (RUGA) in Nigeria.
The researchers included the Principal Investigator, Prof. Abdulateef Muhammed of the Department of Sociology, University of llorin; Associate Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, Dr. Waziri Adisa; Prof. Johnson Ayodele of the Littoral University, Porto Novo, Republic of Benin; Mr. Olawale James Gbadeyan of the Department of Peace and Confict Studies, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State and Miss Garba Esther Uje of the Department of Sociology, University of Lagos.
Prof, Mohammed said those who engaged in inter-ethnic marriages had relative peace. “From our observations, we observed that those who engaged in inter-ethic marriages had relative peace. That’s why we’re encouraging the government to enlighten members of the rural grazing areas to engage more in inter-ethnic marriages. It will mitigate the farmers-herders crisis.
“The crisis is hydra-headed now, and one of the factors that can mitigate it is inter-ethnic marriages. It will entrench peace, harmony and holistic understanding among the inter-group relationship,” he stated.
According to him, the research was carried out in two states each in the six geopolitical zones of the country, namely: Kaduna, Sokoto, Rivers, Enugu, Adamawa, Kogi, Oyo,
Also, the don encouraged political leaders in the country to focus more on findings of the researches, noting: “It will go a long way to mitigate the menace of herders-farmers’ conflicts in Nigeria if government works on and keys into the findings and makes sure that the findings are well implemented.”
Other recommendations were resuscitation and strengthening of nomadic education and adult literacy, as well as strengthening of security of lives and property, especially in the rural grazing areas.
