AFRICMIL, Partners Urge Youths To Be Critical Of Farmers, Herders Crisis

The need to be well informed about controversial issues that have consistently posed threats to national security, cannot be over-emphasized, The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has said.

The charge was made in a bid to draw attention to a research study on ‘The root causes of farmers-herders crisis in the north-central Nigeria which was sponsored by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.

The study which was conducted by two researchers, Plangshak Musa Suchi and Sallek Yaks Musa recorded the growing tension, confrontation and series of violent conflicts between farmers and herders in the last twenty years.

The research also revealed that attacks and counter-attacks have led to over 60,000 deaths and still counting.

the violence has since spread to the six geo-political zones of the country while the north-central has become the epicentre of recurrent violent attacks on farming communities.

Speaking at a one-day round table at the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ), Abuja, Dr Chido Onumah, AFRICMIL Coordinator noted that youths, being easy to influence, have been the target of misinformation and tools for social unrest.

According to Onumah, “While it is a fact that perceived victimization and exploitation were the roots of most crises, it is also helpful to know that a community cannot thrive and progress significantly with youths who are restive. Our peace, security and corporate existence as a nation is threatened because of the prevalence of this phenomenon.”

in her remarks, Program Manager, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (RLF), said there was an urgent need to address the situation as it may become really difficult to tackle once it gets out of hand.

she pointed out that Farmers and Herders have lived together for centuries without issues, noting that the research study reported that the crisis has several other angles which could be tackled with political will.

In the same vein, Executive Director, Ubuntu Centre for Africa Peacebuilding and Development (UCAP), Prof Oshita Oshita who delivered a paper on Peacebuilding and Security at the event, said that youths remain the most vibrant element of society and when such conflicts are taking place, the youths play very significant role, either for good or for bad.

In his words, “Youths are always the ones to mobilise for the conflicts, it is usually youths versus youths that are used to confront each other on every front and what is important is for the youths to be educated enough so as not to be abused.”

On her part, the General Secretary, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Mojirayo Ogunlana-Nkanga said the implication of such crisis has always had dire consequences on women as they do not only risk being killed or displaced from their homes but also risk being kidnapped and sexually assaulted cum enslaved for life.