Updated Nov 02, 2020
Part of Innovations for Poverty Action
https://www.povertyactionlab.org/initiative-project/can-contact-reduce-conflict-between-farmers-and-herders-evidence-nigeriaFocus Areas:
Conflict Response
Implemented In:
Nigeria
In Nigeria, resource conflicts between herders and farmers caused the deaths of nearly 2,000 people and displaced 300,000 more in 2017 and 2018, while costing the economy $13 billion each year. When facing violence, farmers and herders lack incentives to invest in their livelihoods and become less productive. This is a vicious circle where violence over scarce resources leads to poverty, adversely affecting the 18 million people who live in the region. Worsening climate change exacerbates these tensions further. International organizations have spent over $100 million on conflict resolution activities, but with little evidence of their effectiveness.
Given a rare opportunity to use a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to rigorously measure the effectiveness of mediation frameworks, Development Innovation Ventures is supporting Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) to expand and test a series of facilitated meetings (called inter-dialogues) among farmers and herders.