Herders-Farmers Crisis and Farming Livelihoods in Conflict-Ridden Communities in Ibarapa North Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed herders-farmers crisis and farming livelihoods in conflict-ridden communities of Oyo State, Nigeria. Eight (8) focus group discussions comprising sixty (60) men and thirty-six (36) women were conducted to generate data on the drivers of conflict, the endogenous coping strategies used, and the effects of the conflict on farming livelihoods. Data generated were recorded verbatim, transcribed, and later converted into written form. Atlas-Ti software was used to analyse the data. The conflict affected food production and security, as communities experienced food shortages, rising food prices, and the destruction of their farm produce. The crisis also led to the physical destruction of food reserves, the displacement of farmers from their farms, a reduced agricultural labour force, and a decrease in agrarian produce supplied to urban centres. The study concluded that the herder-farmer crisis affected farmers' economies in the communities, as their displacement from farms led to a low standard of living, limited access to healthcare facilities, and limited access to quality education for their children. Adoption of modern grazing practices would help reduce future tensions.