The First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, has called on West African countries to draw lessons from Nigeria’s protracted farmer-herder conflicts and the humanitarian crises arising from them.
Presenting a report titled “Strategies for Addressing Internal Displacement and Farmer-Herder Conflicts in Nigeria” at the ongoing Second Extraordinary Session and Parliamentary Seminar of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament in Accra, Barau said increasing pressure on land and water resources has fuelled conflicts, banditry, terrorism and population displacement in Nigeria.
The report, delivered on his behalf by Senator Sadiq Umar, noted that although Nigeria possesses vast agricultural and pastoral resources, climate variability, environmental degradation, population growth and changing migration patterns have intensified competition for scarce resources, resulting in recurrent clashes between farmers and herders.
Barau highlighted measures adopted by Nigeria to address the challenge, including the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to coordinate emergency relief operations and responses for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
He said Nigeria’s approach aligns with global efforts to pursue durable, development-oriented solutions to displacement, citing the country’s participation in the United Nations Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement and its commitment to the African Union’s Kampala Convention.
Despite these efforts, Barau expressed concern that millions of Nigerians remain displaced, stressing that internal displacement should not be treated solely as a humanitarian issue but one requiring coordinated action by government institutions, traditional authorities and development partners.
He urged policymakers across the region to prioritise early warning systems, conflict prevention mechanisms and climate adaptation strategies, while encouraging investment in ranching, improved livestock feeding and breeding programmes to reduce tensions associated with uncontrolled grazing.
According to him, livestock management should be viewed as an economic issue rather than merely a security concern.
He also called on parliamentarians to enact laws protecting displaced persons and regulating land and livestock management, while strengthening oversight of government programmes related to security, agriculture, displacement and reconstruction.
“Internal displacement and farmer-herder conflicts are complex challenges that require comprehensive and coordinated solutions,” Barau said, adding that Africa must focus on preventing crises by building resilient institutions, economies and communities.
