AFFORESTATION AS A MECHANISM FOR MITIGATING VIOLENT CONFLICTS BETWEEN FARMERS AND HERDERS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

In the quest for sustainable peace against the spate of conflicts between Farmers and Herders in Northern Nigeria, this paper examined the viability of afforestation in taming the protracted violent embroil between the two land users which has claimed many lives and property across the region. The new thinking of using tree planting mechanism in ameliorating the causative agents of the conflicts is borne out of the capacity of trees in providing the desired vegetation for both Famers through its capacity to check climate change with its vulnerabilities such desertification, drought, erosion, erratic rainfall, heat waves etc. which often times trigger the South-Ward migration of herders in desperate search for greener pasture and water points which consciously or unconsciously leads to encroachment of famer lands and eventually sparks resentment, mistrust and violent conflicts. This study is obviously a shift from existing studies that pay little or no attention to applying the afforestation strategy in addressing the backgrounds to which conflict erupts between farmer and herders in Nigeria with specific reference to North-central region. The study relied on secondary sources of data collection mainly from newspapers, reports, published journals, and text books. The paper adopted Eco-Violence theory as a framework of analysis. Thus, the study discovered that, mass tree planting can go a long way in addressing our environmental condition through is natural ability to absorb Greenhouse Gases (GHG) which through emission deplete the ozone layer that over time caused change in climate condition,creat favorable vegetation that attract rainfall,etc To this end, the paper suggested greater collaboration of government with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), community heads, religious and traditional institution in achieving the renew thinking, inclusion of Climate Change Education in our schools curriculums and strengthening our legal frameworks for environmental protection against climate change among other policy recommendations.