News

Training leadership of farmers and herders in Nigeria
15 Jul 2019 - 12:50
Source: Clingendael Institute

Between 9 and 13 July, two back-to-back negotiation trainings took place in Nigeria to support leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and the All Farmers Association Nigeria (AFAN). The National Secretaries of both MACBAN and AFAN welcomed the training opportunity. They called the workshop timely and enhancing the capacity of members to help mitigate farmers-herders crisis in the country.

AFAN (right) and MACBAN (left) leaders
The leaders of MACBAN (left) and AFAN (right)

Support activities are much needed, given the current levels of violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, the absence of communication channels between stakeholders and the increasing pressure on land and resources due to population growth and environmental degradation.

The Clingendael training was provided at the request of herder and farmer leadership, as well the HD Center Nigeria and the Office of the Vice President. 

HD Center has, for the past couple of months, undertaken series of consultations in the Middle region (in Benue and Nasarawa states), with relevant stakeholders, in readiness for a peaceful process which will commence later this month. Continuous dialogues between both camps on the local community level may reduce open hostilities. It may lead to the signing of new landmark declarations in the near future and an approval of the new National Livestock Transformation Plan.

The success of these dialogue processes depends – amongst multiple other factors – on the negotiation skills of the negotiators. Participants mentioned that, after the training, they now better understood:

  • The importance of doing internal negotiations before going to the table
  • The role of trust that is needed for a thorough dialogue
  • Structures that are needed for implementation of peace agreement
  • Phases in negotiation, in particular the importance of process design and setting good rules and procedure

Click here to read more about Clingendael Negotiation Training to support peace processes & watch our trainers in this broadcast of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA):