Resolving Farmers-Herders Conflict Through Security-Necessitated Technologies in Nigeria

This paper exposes some security necessitated technologies that have been explored in recent times particularly in the advance world to combat the various security threats that have overwhelmed modern civilisation. The study becomes necessary following the recent blitzkrieg-like attacks carried-out by Fulani herdsmen on many farming communities in Nigeria. Taking a historical approach to understanding conflicts cum conflict resolution and employing various theories including crime opportunity and routine activity theories to adequately comprehend this sorry situation which has claimed many lives, so as to proffer a more lasting solution to the quagmire, the discourse observes that herders and herds invasion of farmlands in Nigeria is enabled by the absence of the role of a capable guardian in the face of a very high motivation to commit this crime and the environment which encourages it. The work concludes that while the dearth of security-based technologies in Nigeria have enabled these attacks to be perpetrated without containment or detection, the shortfall without mincing words portray grave danger to the country’s national security. As a policy recommendation therefore, the Nigerian state is admonished to immediately strive to bridge this gap by appropriately employing necessary technologies such as those which aid biometric data identification, instant information communication and aerial surveillances. Keywords: Herdsmen, Farmers, Conflict resolution, Security, Technological deficit