Determinants of Development Communication in Famers-Herders’ Crisis in Kogi State, Nigeria

This study analysed the use of development communication strategies in the intervention of the farmers/herders crisis in Kogi state, Nigeria. A multi-sampling procedure was used to select 200 farmers and 80 herders for the study. Primary data obtained through questionnaire administration were analysed using descriptive statistics and factor analysis. The results showed that 60% and 100% of the farmers and herders were male, respectively. The average age among the farmers and herders was 45 years and 48 years, respectively, while the pooled mean was 46.0 years. The majority of the crop farmers could read and write (85%), while 91.1% of the herders had Islamic/Quranic education. The mean hectares of land for crop production among the crop farmers was 5.8 hectares and 0.30 hectares for herders, while the average herd size was 6 and 125 among the crop farmers and herders, respectively. Mass media was the major form of development communication among the farmers (63.5%) and herders (55%). The major drivers of communication between and among stakeholders in the farmer/herder crisis include income level (-0.804), poor welfare status (0.635), land resources (0.445), cultural norms (0.692), diversity (0.701), ethnic and religious beliefs (0.589), differences in local leadership and political affairs (0.541), climatic conditions (0.702), scarce resources (0.691), and scarce productive soil (0.458). This study recommended that extension agents and communicators should incorporate the findings of this study when designing and conducting relevant interventions in resolving the farmers-herders crisis