EXAMINATION OF FARMERS AND HERDERS CONFLICTS IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA IN THE LIGHT OF EXISTING LEGISLATIONS AND PRACTICES

ABSTRACT The persistent farmers and herders conflicts in Nigeria’s indigenous communities have posed significant threats to national security, food stability, and communal coexistence. The study aims to evaluate existing laws and policies regulating farmer-herder relations, identifying gaps and implementation challenges. It explores relevant constitutional provisions, land use regulations, environmental laws, and conflict resolution mechanisms, and the role of state and non-state actors, with a focus on how they impact indigenous communities. The study primarily employs the doctrinal approach, using both primary and secondary sources of information with emphasis on the secondary sources. Findings reveal that while Nigeria has relevant laws this conflict between farmers and herders, poor enforcement, jurisdictional conflicts, and inadequate stakeholder inclusion undermine their effectiveness. The Customary structure is usually suppressed by the formal statutory systems, exacerbating the disputes, further preventing the former from being employed as a means to resolve this crisis. The recommendations include legal reforms to harmonize pastoral and agricultural land-use policies, strengthening judicial and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and enhancing community-based conflict prevention strategies. The research espouses a polycentric paradigm, necessitating synergy among governmental entities, traditional governance structures, and civil society organizations to guarantee enduring peace.