Rethinking the Herdsmen-Land Cultivators Crises in Nigeria: A Historical Perspective

Peaceful coexistence is crucial to socio-economic development. In a country like Nigeria where political, ethnic and religious crises are the order of the day, economic development becomes slow, at best, and elusive at worst. Herdsmen and land cultivators clashes have cost the country so much in terms of finance and loss of lives. Consequently, if nothing tangible is done to ameliorate the situation, more finance and human lives would go down the drain. The study takes a historical perspective on the clashes between herdsmen and land cultivators with the aim of identifying the causes and effects, as well as projecting possible solution. Textual analysis of existing literatures was carried to boost hindsight on previous researches on the subject. Also, face-to-face interviews with some resource persons were also conducted to ensure that historical methodology was adhered to. The study shows that the crises have assumed ethno-religious dimension among other findings. Consequently, deliberate, concerted and sincere effort by the different tiers of government is recommended to resolve the psychological impact of the crises.