Exchanging the shepherd’s staff for AK-47: Fulani Herdsmen and the negotiation of identity and security in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines how government policies–particularly Nigeria’s Land Use Act and the establishment of exclusive grazing reserves–have shaped Fulani–Yoruba relations, identity constructions, and security challenges in southwest Nigeria. The analysis is theoretically grounded in relative deprivation theory and draws on conflict models that emphasize grievance, shifting opportunity structures, and political liberalization. Methodologically, a qualitative case study approach integrates oral interviews with Fulani and Yoruba informants, analysis of court records, newspaper reports (1999–2020), and academic sources, supplemented by fieldwork across eight local government areas in Oyo State. Findings reveal that escalating farmer–herder conflict is driven less by environmental resource scarcity than by shifting opportunity structures and policy neglect. These dynamics have catalyzed armed militancy among Fulani herders. Moreover, policies like the Land Use Act and exclusive grazing reserves–intended to mitigate conflict–have instead exacerbated identity contestations and impunity. The study underscores how weak state institutions and unbalanced policy implementation fuel ethnicized violence and erode intergroup trust. The study offers critical insights for policy reform, identity integration, and conflict mediation in Nigeria’s multiethnic society.

Department(s)

History

Document Type

Article

DOI

10.1080/14725843.2025.2600461

Keywords

farmer-herder conflict, Fulani, herdsmen, identity, Nigeria, pastoralists, security

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Journal Title

African Identities

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