Managing the herdsmen-farmers crisis in Nigeria

Managing the Herdsmen-famers Crisis in Nigeria: The Public Relations Approach 1

Abstract

The incessant violent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria have less positive benefits for both parties and Nigeria as a whole. It is a fact that sustainable development can never occur in a rancorous atmosphere. This, to a large extent, if not nipped in the bud will affect the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal 2, which is aimed at ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture by 2030. In this view, this paper adopts symmetric model of communication as the basis for understanding how public relations can be applied in solving farmers/herders crisis. The paper finds out that clashes between herders and farmers is an evidence of negligence by the government to sensitize the citizenry towards achieving a common goal of tolerating each other. It also identifies reduction in output and income of crops as a result of the destruction of crops by cattle. This situation has translated into low income on the part of the farmers who take farming as a major occupation. As such, the paper recommends that public relations approaches such as press releases, conferences, publicity, etc., should be utilized appropriately in making farmers and herders accept modern methods of cattle rearing and farming so that one’s business cannot interfere with another thereby managing both the current and future crises. It also recommends that messages from public relations events, with full participation of both parties, can change the atmosphere of suspicion that currently characterizes the relationship between herdsmen and farmers thereby creating room for peaceful coexistence.

Keywords: Public Relations, Crisis, Herders/Farmers, Conflict, National Dailies, Coverage

Introduction

The issue of herdsmen-farmers crisis in Nigeria and some parts of West Africa has been a lingering one that is very disturbing. The uniqueness of this scenario could be traced from the historical perspective of their existence where tolerance and coexistence was a cheap affair. At the wake of 2000, this interdependence has increasingly deteriorated due to the changing demography, climate variability, scarcity of natural resources, and socio-political manipulation. As a result, violent confrontation has become a major defining feature of their interactions (Alhassan, U., 2013). Bearing this in mind, the migratory tendencies of herdsmen in search of greener pastures to rear and feed their herds of cow is now seen as a threat to the existence of farmers and their livelihood. This notion is conceived from the incessant and rampant attacks on farmers and their farm produce especially in recent times.

Tonah (2006) in Ofuoku and Isife (2018) is of the view that since the Sahelian drought of the 1970s and 1980s and the accompanying migration of a huge number of pastoralists into the fringes of the humid forest zone of West Africa, there has been a massive increase of the incidence of farmers-herders’ conflict. These cases of farmer-herders conflict abound and are widespread in Nigeria in recent times. For instance, in Demsa Local Government of Adamawa State, 28 people were killed; about 2,500 farmers were displaced and rendered homeless in the latest hostility between cattle rearers and farmers in July, 2018 (Ofuoku and Isife (2018). Most parts of the Country have tested and experienced insecurity with majority of such insecurity taking place in the Middle Belt. In Nigeria, most herdsmen do not own land but graze their livestock in host communities, nor do they own houses or reside in those areas permanently. If at all they reside or own properties in those areas, they would not ransack any community (Ofuoku and Isife, 2018).

According to Chukwueche (2017, p.46) “the fact still remains that these nomadic herdsmen care less about land ownership because they are always on the move.” The nomads usually embark on seasonal migrations from the North to the South; this movement has become an all season’s affair. Nigeria as a country has a huge population majority of which are farmers with at least a fair population of migrant herders who pasture across the country. This situation escalates due to the porous nature of Nigerian borders and poor immigration surveillance, especially in Northern part of the country (Chukwueche, 2017). Farmers maintain their livelihood on a subsistence basis. This implies that any threat to their crops or cattle is a direct threat to their sources of survival, which forces both sides to vehemently protect their own sources of livelihood (Chris and Bukola, 2017).

The situation, as many would say, is aggrevated by socio-political divide which hinges on religion and ethnicity. This situation has catapulted into a quack mire of gory scenes. Often times, herdsmen trespass, destroying farm produce which usually erupts into tense confrontations thereby destroying lives and properties. This calamitous situation has left many homeless and millions of property destroyed. The government has not been proactive so far in solving this problem. The reluctant nature in approach by the government to mitigate any further attacks from the herdsmen on host communities has attracted wide outcry from Nigerians, scholars, NGOs,. This paper, therefore, seeks a public relations approach in curbing the menace of herdsman/ farmers crisis in Nigeria.

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A Historical Perspective to Herdsmen-farmers Crisis in Nigeria

The farmers and herders conflicts have a long history in Nigeria. In the period before the beginning of 20th century, such problems were mainly restricted to the savanna belts of West Africa where cattle rearing were mainly prevalent in these belts: Guinea, Sudan and Sahel Savanna where crop production was carried out according to short raining season and on small scale. According to Tonah as cited in Ofuoku and Isife (2018, p.7), “since the Sahelian drought of the 1970s and 1980s, and the accompanying migration of a huge number of pastoralists into the fringes of the humid forest zone of West Africa, there has been a massive increase of the incidence of farmers-herders’ conflict.” These cases abound in Nigeria. It is difficult to forget the horror experiences of Numan, Demsa and Lamurde among other local governments in Adamawa State.

Other States are Benue, Plateau, Delta, Enugu, Katsina, Taraba, Imo, etc, which have tasted the bitter side of this crisis. Nweze (2005) observes that in Imo State, for instance, between 1996 and 2005, 19 people died and 42 people were injured in this rising incident of farmers and herders conflict and the violence that accompanied it. That figure has skyrocketed in recent times. A report from the Punch Newspaper of 10th September 2018, reveals that clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Gon, Nzumosu, Boliki, Nyanga and Bukuto, communities all in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State led to the death of 27 people and about 500, mostly women and children displaced with property worth millions of naira destroyed.

The farmers/herdsmen crisis over time has become an unending phenomenon in Nigeria. With the continuous rampaging of communities by herdsmen and the retaliatory dissent of farmers on herders, this scenario has become more complicated. The prevalence of farmers/herdsmen crisis in the country has become a major concern for well-meaning Nigerians considering its impact on peace, politics, and security as well as the economy of the nation. Destruction of lives and property has almost become an everyday affair. These happenings have created a fearful atmosphere that discourages investors both domestic and foreign. By and large, the economy of the nation is threatened (Kwaghga, Beetseh, Tion, Dzever, and Terwase, 2018).

Agande, (2017) believes that while the Nigerian case is combined with country-wide challenges including poverty, unemployment, and reduced livelihood opportunities, competition between farmers and herders for limited resources has isolated and deeply polarized the two groups. Political and religious conflict from 2000 to date in Nigeria has provided a favourable ground upon which the herders/ farmers crisis thrive. Numerous instances show that politicians have taken advantage of these situations using it for attaining, maintaining and staying at the helm of power. Chris and Bukola (2017, p. 93) have supported Agande by saying that the political and social underpinnings have instilled a deeply-seeded hostility, fear, and reproach towards perceived aggressors. So, when conflict is triggered between the two groups, for instance, cattle damage crops or cultivated farm lands block grazing routes — the resulting tensions often descend into cycles of revenge attacks based on ethno-religious identity.

Reports in recent times have shown that Fulani militants are the forth deadliest militant group in the world with a record killing of about 1229 people in recent time (Global Terrorism Index, 2017). However, few examples of recent incidences are cited here compiled from online and national dailies’ news headlines. These are as follow:

1.          February 2016: A clash between herdsmen and farmers in Benue State, 40 people were killed, about 2,000 displaced and not less than 100 were seriously injured (Duru, 2016).

2.          March 2016: About 500 people were killed by rampaging herdsmen following a siege on Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State. The communities affected include Aila, Akwu, Adagbo, Okokolo, Ugboju, Odugbeho, Obagaji and Egba (Premium Times, March 12, 2016).

3.          April 2016: Fulani herdsmen attacked two villages and killed 15 people in Gashaka Local Government Area of Taraba State (April 13, 2016, Punch).

4.          April 2016: Fulani armed men attacked farmers in some communities in Lagelu Local Council Area at night, killed a guard and carted away valuables worth millions of Naira (April 26, 2016, Thisday).

5.          April 2016: Fulani herdsmen attacked seven villages and killed about 40 persons in Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State (April 26, 2016, Vanguard).

6.          August 2016: Herdsmen reportedly numbering over 50, armed with machetes disrupted the peace of Ndiagu community of Attakwu, Akegbe-Ugwu in Nkanu-West Local Government Area of Enugu State. A Catholic Seminarian Lazarus Nwafor & severely injured four members of the Ogbodo Nwarum family (September 4, 2016, The Sun).

7.          October 2016: Armed Fulani herdsmen opened fire on villagers who attempted to stop their cattle from grazing their farmlands in Umuekune village of Irete community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State. Several people were wounded in the ensuing stampede with two of the injured on danger list (June 5, 2016, New Telegraph).

8.          January 2017: A fresh crisis between Fulani herdsmen and Idoma farmers at Okpokwu Local Government in Benue State. Left not less than five people dead and several others injured (January 24, 2017, Nigeria Newspapers).

9.          January 2017: Fulani herdsmen attacked Rafin Gona and Gbagyi villages in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State. At least 6,000 persons displaced and nine people killed including a police Inspector and an Assistant Superintendent Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (January 16, 2017, Daily Nigeria News).

10.      June 2018: About 230 Tiv farmers have been reportedly killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Doma, Keana, Awe, Obi and Lafia Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State (Umar Muhammed, Lafia, Punch, June 15, 2018).

11.      June 2018: Plateau Attacks: The latest clash between herdsmen and farmers left more than 200 people dead (Yomi Kazeem, Quartz Africa, 2018).

12.      January 2018: Fulani herdsmen ‘terrorists ’‘pampered’ in Nigeria’s Middle belt — 55 people were initially confirmed dead in Lau, Taraba State (World Watch Monitor, 2018).

13.      July, 2018: ‘Herdsmen don kill pass Boko Haram since January 2018’- Int’l Crisis Group: 1,300 pipo don die since January compare to di 200 wey Boko Haram don kill (BBC News PIDGIN, 2018).

The Implication of Herdsmen-farmers Crisis on Nigeria

Incessant violent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria have no positive benefits on both parties and Nigeria as a whole. It is a fact that sustainable development can never occur in a rancorous atmosphere. This, to a large extent, according to Chukwueche (2017, p. 63), “if not nipped in the bud, will continue to affect the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 2 which aims at ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture by 2030.” Arguing further, he posits that:

Every man needs food for his sustenance and so do animals. This is why nations across the globe strive to invest in food production through expansive cropping and animal husbandry to achieve food sufficiency for its citizens and for export particularly in areas where they have surplus and comparative advantage. There is no doubt that the variety of food crops cultivable in Nigeria has been what has made the country less dependent on importation of most of its staple food items except rice which local production has not been able to match with local demands due to the high consumption rate of the staple food by local consumers (p. 63).

With cases of herdsmen killing and scaring farmers from cultivating crops in most parts of the country where food production is high, it is an indication that the country is drifting into a situation where famine, if care is not taken, will soon be the order of the day. This is coupled with the fact that the population is ever increasing at an alarming rate while food production is becoming less. Of course, these incessant violent clashes lead to reduction in output and income of crop farmers as a result of the destruction of crops by cattle. Most farmers have been forced to flee their farms for fear of being killed by armed herdsmen and loss of part or the whole of their crops which translated into low income on the part of the farmers who take farming as a major occupation. This tends to negatively affect their savings, credit repayment ability, as well the food security and economic welfare of urban dwellers; these are people who depend on farmers for food supply. The clashes, if not checked have the capacity to discourage farmers and stifle rural/agricultural development.

Stories of the nefarious activities of these herdsmen reverberate across the country and they have constituted themselves into a great threat to national food security by their brazen and deliberate destruction of crops resulting in avoidable crises and bloodletting (Chukwueche, 2017). Chukwueche adds that “farmers across the country are increasingly becoming apprehensive over the negative attitude of the nomadic herdsmen who unleash their herds on crops, destroying them to points of no redemption.” As a result, Hameed (2014, p.101) posits that “farmers of cassava, rice, maize, guinea corn and groundnuts now incur extra cost to put hedges around their farms to fend off the marauding cattle whose owners have grown most insensitive to the plights of the average farmer.”

The Nigerian crisis situation has gone from bad to worst. People are killed or displaced virtually every now and then. Haman (2002) reveals that the nomadic herdsmen or grazers suffer from material damages when the crop farmers inflict physical injuries on the cattle by using cutlasses, spears or guns or by poisoning the cattle. In a related development, Ngoufo (1992) as cited in Chukwueche (2017, p.50) observes that “open confrontation results in rural insecurity and outright migration.” Of course, when there is a conflict, property and lives are destroyed leading to misery and hardship. The crisis can also lead to misunderstanding between the crop farmers and nomadic farmers or grazers, create some mistrust, tension and open confrontations between the opposing groups. A good example could be drawn from the 2016 invasion of Uzo Uwani community in Enugu State by herdsmen who slaughtered over 40 persons and destroyed properties. Reports showed that economic activities in Ukpabi, Nimbo were shut down even as officials of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) involved in the conduct of examinations in Ukpabi Secondary School abandoned their duty post (Ebonugwo, 2016).

The level of intolerance among the herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria has deteriorated to unimaginable level of arms struggle resulting in countless deaths among villagers with the attendant reduction in the population of the peasant farmers. Hence, it is important to note that these violent clashes have direct impact on the lives and livelihoods of those involved and lead to the displacement of economic productive population of the community (Okoli and Atelhe, 2014). This in reality has led to the prices of farm produce sky rocking, making life unbearable for the subsistent families.

Mercy Corps (2013) and (2016), a global humanitarian organization funded by the British Department for International Development (BDID), on the causes and effects of perennial clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria, in their reports revealed that the incessant attacks have drastic effects on food security and caused loss of $14 billion in three years. Ajibo, Henry, Onuoha, Emmanuel, Obi-Keguna, Okafor, Oluwole and Israel (2018, p. 159) add that apart from thwarting the country’s economic development to an enormous extent, other economic impacts of these clashes include impeding trade practices, reducing in crop yield, displacement of farmers, loss of lives and property, loss of products in storage and destruction of public and private buildings. It becomes glaring that if nothing is done to arrest this ugly situation, the projects by government and private individuals of food security and sustainable development will become a mirage.

The economic effects have also been huge. According to a 2015 study as contained in Ajibo (2018, p.162), “the federal government was losing $13.7 billion in revenue annually because of farmers and herdsmen conflicts in Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Plateau States.” The study also found that on average, these four states lost 47 percent of their internally-generated revenues. In March 2017, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom asserted that attacks by herders coming from more Northern States, and possibly also from Cameroon and Niger, had cost his state N95 billion (about $634 million at that time) between 2012 and 2014 (International Crises Group, 2017).

The common factor associated with herdsmen is migration. During this migration, they often times destroy crops and valuables belonging to host communities which are mostly farmers. Kwaghga (2018, p.75) states that “attempts by farmers to prevent them from causing havoc are met with stiff and violent resistance.” Most times, the farmers are overpowered, injured and killed, while others are evicted from their homes. Sometimes, the herdsmen are accused of taking these opportunities to steal, rape, raze houses and kill innocent members of the communities they pass through (Akinkuolie, 2018). The implication of such action is that they are above the law. Herdsmen, over time, were known to cause and rain havoc on specific or certain communities in Nigeria, but recently this has totally changed. This is evident at the rate which they commit these crimes. According to statistics provided by the Benue State Annual Report (2018), 1,229 people were killed in 2014, up from 63 in 2013 and Benue State seems to be the hardest hit in recent times.

The conflicts between herdsmen and farmers have exacted a heavy humanitarian toll with thousands killed and tens of thousands displaced. In Benue, one of the hardest-hit States, Governor Samuel Ortom reported that more than 1,878 people were killed between 2014 and 2016 (Ajibo, et al, (2018). From January 2015 to February 2017, at least 62,000 people were displaced in Kaduna, Benue and Plateau State. These displaced had to seek shelter in other poor, rural communities, straining their already scarce resources. For women and girls, the impact is frequently magnified. The relatives of men killed in the violence often evict widows from their farmland. Moreover, post-conflict economic

and social disenfranchisement renders women and girls even more vulnerable to sexual and economic predation (International Crises Group, 2017).

Farmer-pastoralist conflicts have been associated with the conflict of land resource use exacerbated by dwindling resources (Blench, 2004). Some researchers have linked this crisis to the theory of eco-violence (Okbli and Atelhe, 2014), where environmental factors and exploitation of scarce resources lead to conflict and violence.

Insights in the Literature

Often Public relations is largely seen and constructed as a tool of initiating, promoting and sustaining harmonious co-existence between government and the publics. Emphasis by many scholars such as Ajala (2001), Chiaknan (2016), Black (1989) and many other public relations experts tend to favor public relations as an instrument of achieving harmony between organizations and their publics. Public relations, in this regard, appears not to be holistically perceived and applied. Its individualistic nature seems to be overlooked, thereby denying it its recognition as a viable tool of achieving harmony between or among individuals and groups in our society for development purposes.

It is on this note that the definition of public relations by Black (1989) quoted by Nwosu and Wilson (2011, p.148) posits that ‘‘public relations is a two-way communication to resolve conflict on areas of mutual interest and the establishment of understanding based on trust, knowledge and full information.’’ Public relations, from the forgoing discourse, is not only a management tool that can be applied in relationships management between organizations and their publics but also a tool for managing relationships between one ethnic group and another, between one religious group and another, between farmers and herders and so on.

Public relations is a strong weapon of crisis management because of its communicative role. Communication, in this regard, is a two-way approach. Crisis management, according to Coombs (2007) in Fanafa (2016, p.17) is ‘‘a set of factors designed to combat crisis and/or lessen actual damages inflicted; it is a process with many parts such as preventive measures, crisis management plans, and post crisis evaluation.” Public relations employs crisis communication in managing crisis. Crisis communication, Coombs and Holladay (2010, p.20) posit, ‘‘is the collection, processing and dissemination of information required to address a crisis situation.”

Public relations employs the two-way symmetric model of communication. The two-way symmetric model is the opposite of the two-way asymmetric model. The symmetric model was formulated by Gunning and Hunt 1984. The model posits that a two-way beneficial communication must exist between an organization and its numerous publics in order to attain a mutual understanding between them (Fanata, 2016). Applying the two-way symmetric model can make public relations to be equally seen applying Frank Jefkins transfer process model in settling disputes between farmers and herdsmen.

The model considers the task of public relations as essentially that of communication especially in a crisis situation. According to Frank Jefkins (1989) employing the transfer process model of communication can make public relations to change a negative situation to a positive one, hostility to sympathy, prejudice to acceptance, apathy to interest and ignorance to knowledge. Farmers and herdsmen in Nigeria have a long history of togetherness. While the farmer used to rely on the manure from the feaces of cattle, the herdsmen used to rely on the chaffs or farm remnants for feeding their cattle. This symbiotic relationship was very healthy for the development of agriculture and Nigeria as a whole. It becomes worrisome why the relationship between farmers and herders has become sour in recent times. This really calls for a public relationship approach to bring back the glorious days between the two.

Managing Herdsmen-farmers Crisis in Nigeria: The Public Relations Approach

Managing and solving crisis does not stop at making mere rhetoric. It transcends making compromises. Dialogue is usually the apparatus used to achieve the goal of attaining mutual understanding and peace. Historically, public relations have always been a key contributor to national development as well as playing an important role in any effort towards national security. Public relations, in this regard, with deliberate application of communication; maintaining and sustaining mutual understanding during conflicts, is a very important tool of communication. The aim here is to bridge the lacuna existing between parties at conflict. Instead of propagating the ugly side of the conflict and shifting blames, efforts are made towards harnessing the benefits of good relationship between the herdsmen and the farmers. Black (1989) in Chiakaan and Chile (2014) defines public relations as the art and science of achieving harmony with the environment through mutual understanding based on truth and full information.

According to Chiakaan and Chile (2014) public relations is a long term responsibility which seeks to persuade and achieve mutual understanding by securing the willing acceptance of attitudes and ideas. Since public relations concerns itself with good will among all the parties in a given situation, using its approaches in managing the herdsmen-farmers crisis in the country has become imperative. Instead of deploying heavy security to restore peace, public relations tools such as press releases, public service announcements, press kits, special events among others that contain messages on peaceful coexistence as the central theme can go a long way in ensuring permanent peace among herders and farmers. Others as highlighted by Asemah (2011, p.78) are campaigns, counselling and public speaking. When Public relations approaches are utilized appropriately, they will help in making the herders and farmers accept modern methods of cattle rearing and farming so that one business cannot interfere with another to the point of bringing about crisis. For instance, public relations approach can enable both herders and farmers to understand the advantages of adopting ranches and large scale farming as a solution for persistent clashes on the farm lands.

Messages from public relations events with full participation of both parties can change the atmosphere of suspicion that has recently characterized the relationship between herdsmen and farmers thereby creating room for meaningful resolution to the crisis. Military solutions to any crisis worldwide, has always been just temporarily. A genuine solution to any crisis must employ public relations approaches to enable the warring factions to be on the same page for amicable solution.

Public relations approach is the best for managing the herdsmen-farmers crisis because it does not seek to know which party is right or wrong; it simply seeks to enhance goodwill and understanding among the warring parties with a view to finding common grounds. It is, therefore, important that government at all levels as well as traditional rulers organize events deliberately to involve both parties. Cultural shows involving herdsmen and farming communities on regular basis can help create goodwill among the parties for a better society.

Conclusion

Conflict between herdsmen and farmers has been in Nigeria since many years ago. The recent crisis between these two agriculturalists has, however, been more worrisome than the previous ones. People are been murdered in cold blood, no one seems to be safe, very dangerous weapons are used, women and girls are raped, in some instances, pregnant women are not only slaughtered but their wombs are opened with the foes brought out and displayed, no building is left standing with roads and the entire society unsafe. These atrocities are being committed with no serious efforts being made by the government to arrest them. Public relations is seriously thrown to the dogs instead of being swung into action to stop the menace. Public relations, when committedly and effectively applied, is a very sound crisis management tool.

Recommendations

Based on what has been discussed in this paper, the following recommendations can help in managing the crisis between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria:

i.            Mass and social media should be employed effectively in sensitizing herders particularly on the need to engage in modern methods of rearing cattle in ranches. Campaigns in this regard, should be geared towards bringing to the fore, the advantages of modernizing cattle rearing.

ii.          There is need for government, non-governmental organizations and well-meaning individuals to embark on radical campaigns aimed at achieving peace and unity between farmers and herdsmen. This can open the eyes of both to realize their importance to the economy and growth of Nigeria.

iii.        Conferences and other fora of communication should be organized for both herdsmen and farmers on a regular basis by government and other bodies that mean well for Nigeria. The conferences can be held at village, local government and national levels.

iv.         Traditional institution has appeared to be living below expectation in terms of ensuring that peace is maintained in local areas in Nigeria. It is high time traditional rulers woke up to their responsibility.

v.           Religious leaders should also tilt their messages towards installing peace between the two agricultural groups in Nigeria.