ANALYSIS OF THE CONFLICT SENSITIVITY OF CONCEPTUALIZING AND IMPLEMENTING THE KACHIA GRAZING RESERVE LAW IN KADUNA STATE AS A CONFLICT PREVENTION STRATEGY
Joseph Atang and Abdullahi N. Liman, PhD
Volume 13 Issue 1
Abstract
The prevention of the longstanding conflict between transhumance pastoralists and farming communities, as well as the need to improve the health conditions of pastoralists and their animals for optimal and healthier animal productivity, is the main goal of creating the Kachia Grazing Reserve in Kaduna State. However, if not properly conceived, a grazing reserve can exacerbate or bring about conflict. Anchored on the Peace and Conflict Sensitivity Theory, this paper therefore places the establishment of the Kachia Grazing Reserve on the scale of conflict sensitivity in conceptualization. In other words, it looks at whether the idea was properly conceived in terms of process and intended output. Through primary and secondary data, the paper has found that there was no deliberate and systematic mainstreaming of conflict sensitivity in conceiving the reserve. The Kachia Grazing Reserve was conceived in contravention of the Northern Nigeria Grazing Reserve Law 1965 (adopted by the Kaduna State Government); the Kachia Grazing Reserve Law 1996 (backdated to 1988); the Kaduna State Grazing Reserve Regulations 1987; and the Land Use Act 1978. More importantly, even these instruments were found not to be conflict sensitive enough. It has also been found that even in their deficiencies, these instruments are still extant. Communities from which the land for the Kachia Grazing Reserve was taken were not engaged in most of the activities for establishing, and are not involved in most of the management and monitoring activities of the grazing reserve. The paper therefore recommends that in order to stem the rising tide of conflicts between inhabitants of the Kachia Grazing Reserve and their neighbouring indigenous farming communities, the Northern Nigeria Grazing Reserve Law 1965 (adopted by the Kaduna State Government); the Kachia Grazing Reserve Law 1996 (backdated to 1988); and the Kaduna State Grazing Reserve Regulations 1987 are more than due for revision after decades of their existence. The study also recommends that all stakeholders must be actively involved in the review of those instruments. Specifically, all stakeholders should be duly and actively engaged in the consequent review of the nature and management of the Kachia Grazing Reserve. Key words: Conflict; Conflict Sensitivity; Kachia Grazing Reserve Law; Conflict Sensitive Planning; Conflict Prevention.
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