-Abuja.

This latest report of a farmer being arrested for allegedly poisoning cows is yet another reminder of the deep-rooted issues fueling the farmer-herder crisis in Nigeria. It is unfortunate that in a country where both farming and livestock rearing are vital to food security, we are still witnessing violent conflicts instead of sustainable solutions.

The truth is, this conflict is not just about farmers and herders, it’s about the failure of leadership. The government has refused to provide clear land-use policies, enforce security, or introduce modern livestock management systems like ranching. Instead, we are left with open grazing that leads to crop destruction, retaliatory attacks, and a cycle of violence that benefits no one.

Farmers are struggling to protect their crops, herders are fighting to keep their cattle alive, and food production continues to suffer. If we truly care about food security, the government must act decisively, establish designated grazing reserves, invest in ranching, enforce land policies, and stop treating every crisis as an ethnic or political issue. Nigeria has the potential to feed itself and beyond, but that won’t happen if we keep allowing conflict to destroy the backbone of our agriculture.