Legal and Environmental Challenges of Nomadic Cattle Herding: Lessons from Southern Nigeria

Abstract

In recent years, conflicts between nomadic cattle herdsmen and indigenous farmers in Southern Nigeria have continued to increase at an alarming rate. The conflicts are caused by the invasion of farmlands by herders, especially during the rainy season. The consequence of this is deep resentment against herders and a robust attempt by farmers to protect the carrying capacity of their ecosystem. Existing literature in this area has dwelt more on the humanitarian cost of these conflicts, with little attention paid to the externalities of cattle herding on the environment. The paper attempts to fill this gap by empirically evaluating the legal and environmental dimensions of nomadic cattle herding in Southern Nigeria and the attendant conflicts it generates. While there are benefits derivable from cattle herding in this region, it argues that its negative impacts outweigh its positive effects on the environment.