The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament has urged for coordinated regional action to prevent farmer-herder conflicts and prolonged internal displacement. Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate and First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Barau Jibrin, made the call in a presentation at the Parliament's Second Extraordinary Session and Seminar in Accra, Ghana. He cited Nigeria's experience as a lesson for West Africa, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to address the complex challenges of internal displacement and farmer-herder conflicts.
Senator Barau's presentation, titled "Strategies for Addressing Internal Displacement and Farmer-Herder Conflicts in Nigeria," emphasized that Nigeria's experience with farmer-herder conflicts, internal displacement, and humanitarian crises offered important lessons for the region and the wider African continent. He noted that increasing pressure on land and water resources in Nigeria had contributed to conflicts, banditry, terrorism, and other forms of insecurity, affecting millions of people who depend on agricultural and pastoral economies for their livelihoods.
Nigeria has introduced several measures to address the challenges, including the creation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to coordinate emergency relief operations and responses to internally displaced persons. Senator Barau stated that Nigeria's approach is increasingly consistent with the international shift from short-term humanitarian response towards government-led development-oriented solutions. The country has also been selected under the United Nations Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement and Focused National Pathways towards Durable Solutions.
Despite several interventions, more than three million Nigerians remain displaced and are living in camps and other displacement settings across the country. Senator Barau expressed concern that internal displacement should not be regarded as the exclusive responsibility of humanitarian agencies, stressing the need for coordinated action involving relevant ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as traditional institutions. He called for greater attention to early warning systems, conflict prevention mechanisms, and climate adaptation measures to tackle the underlying factors driving displacement and farmer-herder conflicts.
Senator Barau also urged governments to treat livestock as an economic sector rather than solely as a security concern, arguing that investment in ranching, livestock feeding, and breeding could reduce pressure associated with uncontrolled livestock movements and markets. He called on parliamentarians to establish appropriate legislative frameworks for the protection of displaced persons and the regulation of land and livestock management. Additionally, he emphasized the need for parliamentary committees to conduct evidence-based oversight of government programs and expenditure relating to displacement, security, agriculture, livestock, and reconstruction.
The ECOWAS Parliament's call for coordinated action aims to address the complex challenges of internal displacement and farmer-herder conflicts in the region. Senator Barau stressed that effective implementation of policies and interventions remained critical to enabling farmers and herders to pursue their lawful and productive livelihoods without conflict. He emphasized that the focus of governments and regional institutions should shift from responding to crises after they occur to preventing them and addressing the conditions that fuel prolonged displacement.
The challenge of internal displacement and farmer-herder conflicts extends beyond responding to crises after they occur; it requires building resilient institutions, economies, and communities capable of preventing conflicts and protracted displacement. As parliamentarians, Senator Barau added that they have a responsibility to support appropriate legislation, strengthen oversight, promote inclusive dialogue, and ensure that public resources are directed towards sustainable solutions.
Key points
- The ECOWAS Parliament calls for coordinated regional action to prevent farmer-herder conflicts and internal displacement.
- Nigeria's experience with farmer-herder conflicts and internal displacement offers important lessons for West Africa.
- Effective implementation of policies and interventions is critical to enabling farmers and herders to pursue their livelihoods without conflict.
