Farmers and pastoralists’ socio-cultural interaction: mitigating conflicts in rural communities for livelihood development in Nigeria

Abstract

Pastoralists and farmers’ activities guarantee food security while the pastoral systems have been the focus of conflicts in recent times in Nigeria. Much work has been done to explore the causes and effects of such conflicts from the farmers’ perspectives; hence this study approached it from the pastoralists’ viewpoint. The study examined the socio-cultural influence of interactions between pastoralists and farmers of the host communities in Nigeria. A three-stage random sampling procedure was used to select 121 pastoralists while data was collected using an interview schedule. Findings showed that 68.6% of the sample owned above 16 cattle and the annual income of 47.1% of the sampled pastoralists range from 100,000-500,000 Naira for over 16years. The factors triggering conflicts between pastoralists and their farmer hosts included: destruction of farmers' crops by herds, cattle rustling by thieves, sexual harassment involving their women, and harassment by the host community. This study also showed a relatively poor socio-cultural integration in intermarriage, understanding and speaking of host communities' language. Age, marital status, herd size, education level and income influenced the integration of pastoralists into host communities. The study concluded that there is a strong need for inter-marriages between pastoralists and farmers in furtherance of integration of the pastoralists with the socio-cultural values of the farmers. This can be achieved by engaging extension workers who will provide requisite enlightenment, education and training to the pastoralists. It thus becomes imperative for stakeholders to foster an enabling environment for improved social integration to assuage the rising conflicts. The study is novel as it documents the nexus between socio-cultural interaction and conflicts; with implication for capacity building, education and training on conflict resolution for livestock extension practitioners.