CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CONSEQUENCES ON LIVELIHOODS OF FULANI CATTLE HERDERS AND FARMERS IN KABBA-BUNU, KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

Farmers and Fulanis are in recent times becoming more frequently involved in land resources use conflicts. Alot of lives (human and cattle) as well as crops and properties are lost to this conflict on a regular basis. It isdue to these profound losses that the study aimed at investigating the root causes; determine the consequencesof the conflict on the respondents and ascertain the management strategies in use to curb or reduce the conflict.A total of 486 respondents were randomly selected for the study while a structured questionnaire was used fordata collection. Descriptive statistics and the logit regression were used to analyze the data. The results showsthat majority (76.4%) of the farmers interviewed are middle aged, that is between 40-59 years while majority(76.7%) of the Fulanis are youths between 20 and 39 years. The result further shows that majority (70.0%) offarmers and 47.4% of Fulanis said destruction of crops/animals was the major source of conflict. The results oneffect of conflict on the losses incurred by the farmer’s shows that all the variables had direct relationship withconflict. However, only the loss of crops (2.047) and loss of other properties (1.016) had significant effect onconflict at p < 0.05 and p< 0.01, respectively. The results on the effect of conflict on the losses incurred by theFulanis show that only loss of cattle (1.003) is statistically significant at p < 0.05. It has a direct relationshipwith the Fulanis conflict with the farmers. The result of the conflict resolution methods shows that majority(90.3% and 72.3%) of farmers and Fulanis, respectively, agree that payment of compensation is the best way ofsettling conflict between farmers and Fulanis. The results on the selected conflict management strategiesindicate that majority (49.7%) of farmers and 52.2% of Fulanis hold the view that the use of traditional rulersin conflict resolution is the most preferred. On the basis of these findings, it was recommended among othersthat: Existing laws on grazing routes should be reviewed and strengthened by the National Assembly andvarious State Assemblies. The Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) and other insuranceorganizations should devise insurance policies as strategies of reaching farmers and Fulanis to ensure supportwhenever they suffer losses which will go a long way to mitigate their sufferings and Government should ensurethat adequate compensation is paid to farmers and Fulanis who suffer losses.