The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has warned that Nigeria’s livestock sector has become a defining element of the nation’s conflict ecosystem, shaping local economies, intergroup relations, and national security.
The caution was issued during the Second Quarter Policy Review Dialogue of the Network of Policymakers and Religious Leaders, convened on Friday in Abuja by IPCR in partnership with the King Abdullah Bin Abdullaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID). Speakers agreed that Nigeria’s greatest challenge is not the absence of livestock policies but the persistent failure to implement them.
IPCR Executive Secretary, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, lamented that many national policies “die before they leave the shelf,” describing Nigeria as a “graveyard of unimplemented policies.” He said the farmer–herder conflict has evolved into a complex web driven by climate pressures, land scarcity, population growth, cross-border migration, and weak governance.
According to him, coordinated action across all levels of government is essential. “When institutions operate in silos, conflict fills the gap. But when federal, state, and local structures move in alignment, policy becomes a stabilizing tool,” he said. He emphasized that traditional rulers, pastoralist associations, farmers’ groups, and religious leaders must be treated as “indispensable partners,” not afterthoughts in policymaking.
The meeting also addressed rising concerns about communal violence and claims of targeted attacks on specific religious groups. While acknowledging the seriousness of such allegations, Ochogwu cautioned against narratives lacking verified evidence. He stressed that Nigeria’s insecurity stems from terrorism, banditry, competition over natural resources, and long-standing grievances that affect all communities.
He warned that Nigeria must avoid any trajectory resembling genocide and called for stronger early-warning systems, improved regulation of pastoral mobility, and conflict-sensitive policy implementation.
Participants underscored the pivotal role of faith and traditional institutions in conflict prevention. They noted that religious bodies possess moral authority and grassroots reach that government agencies often lack, especially in rural areas most affected by violence.
Ochogwu outlined four urgent priorities: improving coordination among federal, state, and local actors; embedding conflict-sensitive frameworks in livestock policy execution; ensuring inclusive engagement of farmers, pastoralists, women, youth, and local institutions; and establishing evidence-based monitoring systems to track conflict hotspots and pastoral movements in real time.
IPCR reiterated its commitment to supporting the Federal Government with conflict analysis, mediation, policy advice, and early-warning tools. Its partnerships with KAICIID and other international organisations, it said, aim to ensure that dialogue outcomes translate into measurable community impact.
Participants agreed that Nigeria has reached a critical juncture. Transforming livestock policy from paper to practice, they said, is not merely an agricultural necessity but a prerequisite for lasting national stability.
“Moving from intention to impact is the only path to sustainable peace,” Ochogwu said. “Strengthening coordination in the livestock sector is ultimately strengthening Nigeria itself.”
