The Ruga Settlement

Understanding the Political Economy of farmer/herder Conflicts in Nigeria

The early man started with gathering fruits, hunting, and later farming. In all civilizations and across all societies there are farmers/herders co-existing together.

Prior to colonialism and after colonialism the problem between herders/farmers have been a major concern to successive governments.

Public policies are difficult to be enacted in Nigeria as a result of diversities and politics associated with policymaking.

There is no Nigerian who is comfortable the way the farmer/herder clashes have been ravaging communities. The problem has been identified but Nigerians are divided on its solution.

However, policy direction on resolving the incessant farmer/herder conflict is still contested, complicated and divisive as result polarization.

Why the Ruga policy has generated controversy is the framing of the policy that Nigerians see as bias and sectional. The prism and identity question becomes amplified

Moreso, the policy was mooted in the pre-election year 2018. And now, it still resurfaces immediately after the 2019 general elections.

The agitations are based on the "politics" of policymaking and the unintended consequencies it generates. You could recall the subsidy protest in 2012.

The Cattle Colony, Ruga Settlement and Anti-Open Grazing Bill could not all be bad ideas or bad policies. However, all of them failed to pass through and be accepted as the way forward as result of politicization and identity politics.

What is missing is the politics of the policy making, timing and process. The national politics and the national question shapes almost everything in Nigeria.

To have better understanding of these policies; cattle colony is an attempt to curve out large area of land purposely for rearing cattles. Anti-Open grazing bill is more of regulatory policy that make open grazing illegal and ranching legal. The Ruga Settlement is more of the combination of both.

The crux of the whole hullabaloo about Ruga Settlement has taken a new dimension. First, farmer/herder (Producers). Second, the division between Fulani and Minorities (Identity politics). Thirdly, the division between North vs South. Fourth, the polarization between Muslims vs Christians.

The final casualties are the massess(peasant vs peasants) killing themselves. We must not look at national problems from the parochial and narrow minded perspective of tribalism or nepotism.

We are a democracy put the policy to debate in NASS & State Assemblies for proper openness and enlightenment.

The Concept of FOOD from the farmer/herder here stands for:
F- Freedom.
O-Obligation.
O-Opportunity.
D-Development.

We must at this juncture, reconsider the food theory and political economy of this highly politicized conflicts. Even though, the farmer/herder conflict is intractable.

The challenges are; food insecurity, hunger, wanton killings, population displacement and general insecurity in the country.

Therefore, proper awareness, tolerance, optional, dialogue and timing would serve as the way forward in this imbroglio.

Mal. Isa Mohammed
2/7/2019.