Youth Initiative Against Violence and Human Rights Abuse (YIAVHA) has recommended enhancing government intervention in rural communities and prioritising the delivery of basic amenities and infrastructure in both farmers’ and herders’ communities to address perceived bias.
YIAVHA executive director, Comrade Choji Pwakim, made the recommendation during the presentation of a research finding with the theme, “Dissemination Exercise: Report of the Community-Based Participatory Action Research to Promote Socio-Economic Integration and Cohesion in Farmer Herders Conflict.”
Knowledge Management Fund and Platform Security and Rule of Law supported the event.
According to him, the government should leverage on some intervention programmes like the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery Economic Stimulus (NG-Cares) Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and FADAMA among many others.
He said they should reach out to those communities in a manner that will promote unity and solidarity, stressing that this would address issues of change of names in some communities.
Pwakim also noted that addressing perceptions of neglect would reduce tension between farmers and herders, improve community relations and reduce violence as well as improve the well-being of all, adding that this would reduce community vulnerability to conflicts.
He further recommended that the committee for the resettlement of internally displaced persons should consider both farmers and herders who have been displaced in their arrangement, adding that resettlement should go beyond the building of houses but humanisation of settlements to avert violence.
