HERDERS AND FARMERS CONFLICTS: IMPLICATION FOR FOOD SECURITY IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

This paper examines the activities of the pastoralists and farming activities in Nigeria. The menace of the herders over farmlands has remained a critical problem affecting food production in Nigeria particularly in Plateau state. The continuous clashes between the farmers and herdsmen have resulted to the loss of lives and property in farming communities. The study also looks at the response of the state security agents in curbing the menace and the reactions of the affected communities. The relationship between the herdsmen and the farmers has since turned soar in recent times in Plateau state. Most of the farming communities affected are in Bokkos, Mangu, Bassa, Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos South local government areas of the state. It also tries to point out that the consequence of these continuous activities of the herdsmen is going to affect the availability of both food and cash crops in the state. Food security has been on the front burner, in both electronic and print media; particularly with challenges posed by climate change. The world food summit for food security may not be achieved when such threats (taking over farmlands for grazing animals) continue unabated. The objective of the paper is to point out the negative impact that herders-farmers perennial conflict have on food security in Plateau state. The paper adopted personal observation and secondary sources of data and content analysis as its methodology. The findings of the paper shows that with the continuous incursion of the herdsmen on the farmers and their farmlands will result to food shortage and this in turn will affect the commitment of the world food organization in halving the proportion of hungry people in the world. The paper recommends that government and stakeholders across the state should intervene to restore peace through dialogue with the parties. Adequate food production can be achieved when the farming communities are secured so as to sustain production thereby improving the livelihood of the greater number