Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has said the livestock sector now sits “at the heart of Nigeria’s conflict ecosystem”, influencing local economies, intergroup relations and national security. 

While Nigeria has produced multiple livestock policies over the years, speakers at the Policy Review Meeting of the Network of Policy Makers for the Support of Peace, Security and Reconciliation in Nigeria organized by IPCR in partnership with King Abdullah Bin Abdullaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), agreed that the country’s biggest challenge is not policy creation but policy implementation.

The Executive Secretary of IPCR, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, said: “Policies exist, but they often die before they leave the shelf,” echoing past criticisms that Nigeria has become a “graveyard of unimplemented policies”.

He warned that the farmer–herder conflict has evolved into a complex risk system shaped by climate pressures, land scarcity, population growth, trans-border migration, and weak governance structures. Without coordinated action, these pressures threaten to overwhelm already stretched local and national institutions.

He stressed that the success of livestock reforms will depend on effective coordination between federal ministries, state governments, local authorities and community actors.

He said: “When institutions operate in silos, conflict fills the gap. But when federal, state, and local structures move in alignment, policy becomes a stabilizing tool.”

Ochogwu described traditional rulers, pastoralist associations, farmers’ groups, and religious leaders as “indispensable partners” in the process rather than observers brought in after decisions are made.

The session also addressed growing concerns around communal violence and allegations of targeted attacks against specific religious groups. 

Recent claims suggesting that Christians are being systematically exterminated in Nigeria have gained international attention.

Ochogwu acknowledged the emotional weight of such claims but cautioned against narratives not grounded in verified evidence.

“Nigeria’s security challenges stem from terrorism, banditry, resource competition, and historical grievances,” he said, adding that: “These problems affect all groups, and they require collective solutions—not divisive interpretations.”

He emphasized that Nigeria must not allow any trajectory that resembles genocide or the destruction of any community, calling for stronger early-warning systems, improved regulation of pastoral mobility, and policies that prevent local tensions from escalating into large-scale atrocities.

Participants agreed that the partnership between policymakers and faith leaders is central to preventing violence. 

Religious institutions, they noted, have moral authority and grassroots influence that government structures often lack, particularly in rural communities most affected by the conflict.

“This network exists because peace is not a government-only project,” the convener said. “It must be built through a multi-layered alliance of policymakers, traditional institutions and religious leaders.”

Ochogwu highlighted four areas requiring urgent action: Strengthening vertical and horizontal coordination across federal, state, and community levels; embedding conflict-sensitive practices into all livestock policy implementation; ensuring inclusive engagement involving farmers, pastoralists, women, youth, and local institutions and institutionalizing evidence-based monitoring systems that track conflict hotspots and pastoral mobility using real-time data.

IPCR reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Federal Government through conflict analysis, policy advisory services, mediation, and early-warning mechanisms.

Its partnerships with KAICIID and other international bodies, it said, are aimed at ensuring that the outcomes of these dialogues translate into tangible impact at the community level.

Participants agreed that Nigeria stands at a critical moment. Transforming livestock policy into practical action, they said, is not only a matter of agricultural reform—it is a prerequisite for national stability.

According to Ochogwu, “Moving from intention to impact is the only path to sustainable peace. Strengthening coordination in the livestock sector is ultimately strengthening Nigeria itself.”

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