FARMER-HERDER CONFLICTS: A CHALLENGE TO NATION-BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

 Violent conflicts and armed insurgencies often target development infrastructures, hinder the construction process; and ultimately affect economic growth. This is the situation Nigeria is currently facing because of an increase in the clashes between herders and farmers, thereby resulting in violent conflicts, unrest, and high levels of insecurity. This has adversely affected the Nigerian state, nation building and development, increase in poverty, disruption of livelihood and insecurity amongst others. This is why this paper, seeks to examine the effects of these conflicts on nation-building and development in Nigeria. The study argues that conflict has affected not only nation-building and development, but has disrupted livelihoods, markets, and education amongst others. It has further destroyed social relations thereby making it difficult for integration of different groups in the country which is a panacea to nation-building. The paper adopts both the eco-survivalism theory of conflict and the national integration theory of nation-building as its analytical framework. We will rely on secondary sources to give an in-depth analysis of the effect of this conflict. We recommend that the government should establish proactive and reliable conflict management institutions and selfless and undying commitment on the side of leadership hold sway; only in that would the long-stolen peace and harmony be restored. This is because minus peace and harmony nation-building vis-a-vis development becomes an illusion.