IMPACT OF FARMERS-HERDERS’ CONFLICTS ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC WELLBEING OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Mayat, Audu Akim, PhD and Bauda, Gideon Sambo
Volume 11 Issue 1

Abstract

The study examined the impact of farmers-herders’ conflicts on the socioeconomic wellbeing of women and children in Plateau State. The paper relied on descriptive survey design to carry out the study. An infinite population of women and children was computed out of which a sample size of 371 respondents was selected using purposive and simple random sampling method. A 5-point self-designed questionnaire was used to collect the data. Frequency tables, mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) Multiple Regression was used for hypotheses testing. The findings revealed that farmers-herders conflict has severely impacted on the socioeconomic wellbeing of women and children in Plateau. These specifically, include deepening of women poverty level, loss of livestock and assets, reduces women income from farming activities and loss of access to farmlands. Herders and farmers conflicts have led to malnutrition among children, reduced access to healthcare services, psychological trauma and worsened health conditions and maternal healthcare risk for pregnant risks. It was revealed that the conflict had led to the transfer of teachers to safer schools, close of schools, destruction of school facilities, and increase in dropout rate and disruption of children education. The results showed that farmers and herders conflicts have led to poor nutritional status in children, food shortages, and increase in the prices of food stuff, hunger and malnutrition among children. The study concluded that farmers-herders’ conflicts have impacted negatively on the socioeconomic wellbeing of women and children. It recommended among others that the State government should strengthen collaboration with security agencies to reduce the escalation of conflicts, it is also recommended that the state government should enact a law on anti-open grazing, it is also recommended that community policing should be encouraged among other recommendations. Keywords: Herders-Farmers, Conflicts, Socioeconomic, Wellbeing, Women and Children

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