Nigeria's Herder-Farmer Violence is Escalating

The farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria is a long-running and deadly struggle over land and resources, primarily between nomadic herders—mostly from the Fulani ethnic group—and settled farming communities. Driven by factors such as desertification, population growth, and shrinking grazing land, herders increasingly move south in search of pasture, leading to violent clashes with farmers over farmland and water access. The conflict has intensified in recent years, contributing to insecurity and displacement, particularly in Nigeria's Middle Belt region.

It was there, in the middle of the night on June 13th, that an unknown group attacked the village of Yelewata. An estimated 200 people were killed, mostly farmers and their families, in what is considered the single deadliest massacre of its kind. The attack sparked a massive public outcry over the government's apparent inability to prevent such violence.

Joining me to discuss what is driving this conflict—and why Nigerians are increasingly losing confidence in the government's ability to provide security in the Middle Belt region—is Isaac Albert, a professor of African History, Peace, and Conflict Studies at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.

We begin by discussing the recent attack on Yelewata before taking a broader look at what his research suggests is fueling this conflict—and what may be done to prevent massacres like this in the future.