In a bid to finding lasting solutions to the incessant herder-farmer disputes in several parts of Nigeria, the Justice Peace and Development Commiission JDPC in collaboration with a Germany based international non-governmental organization have organised a three -day capacity building workshop on conflict management for members of the Commission and other stakeholders in the South West region and Benue State.Â
The workshop held at the U.I Ventures, Ibadan ,featured an interactive session with media professionals organised by Misereor Dialogue Partnership Services DPS, Nigeria with a view to understanding the role and contributions of the media to this relationship and to explore possible ways forward for better reportage and media engagement
Members of the JDPC were drawn from Oyo , Osun , Ekiti, Kwara and Benue States as well as journalists at the workshop highlighted the need to step up enlightenment on conflict management among stakeholders
The consultant to Misereor which provides financial support for the Justice Peace and Development Commiission JDPC in Nigeria, Umar Hasan explained that though the workshop was kicking off from the south west, other JDPC from other regions of the country will be captured adding that
the JDPC members from Makurdi, Benue State, were invited to the workshop in Ibadan because of the current experience the State was facing on the issue.
Hasan , while addressing newsmen on Thursday at the grand-finalle of workshop he facilitated declared that community based approach remains the best method towards ending herder-farmer disputes in the country adding that the approach, rather than the use of force, has helped in reducing conlificts between the herders and farmers.
He observed that though Herders-Farmers clashes still persist in states like plateau, Benue,and some other areas where the JDPC have intervened using the approach had yeilding positive results.
“So far so good, on all the areas Misereor is operating and visiting, community engagement is the best, not using the military , police or any other security personnel, we only bring in security personnel when the issue has gone out of hand.
” One basic thing is that because of the community based approach they have taken, dialogue between farmers and herders and other stakeholders like traditional rulers, government officials, and even the media, there have been a lot of improvement in terms of herders, farmers relationship in areas such as Benue as against what we use to have before.
He decried the response of government towards assisting the organizations efforts in nipping the ugly trend in the bud saying that such
support may not necessarily be financial, but by responding through their policies.
The Head of Misereor Dialogue Partnership Services DPS, Nigeria, Julia Krojer said dialogue remains the best form of conflict resolution among farmers and herders in the country
