Livelihoods, Conflict and Mediation - Nigeria

This research is the first in a series of longitudinal studies into the impact of violent and non-violent conflict on lives and livelihoods, and mediation dynamics, in Nigeria and Somalia.

This first report, by SPARC and its partner the Fulbe Development and Cultural Organization (FUDECO), provides an introductory snapshot of issues at each of the research sites from the perspectives of those interviewed. It builds on previous SPARC research examining the impacts of Covid-19 on livelihoods in Nigeria. Each successive report will dig more deeply into issues described by interviewees, and situate these within the broader historical and present-day socioeconomic and political contexts, and crises that shape their experiences.

The overarching aim of the longitudinal study is to document and understand the challenges facing people with different livelihoods, particularly around disputes and conflict of various types, and how these are impacting lives and livelihoods. The research did not initially focus on particular types of disputes and conflict, but rather let the interviewees describe the disputes and conflicts they had experienced in the last five years, including their views on the perpetrators and causes. The economic, environmental, political and social contexts at the local-to-national levels are continually evolving, and regional-to-global events such as the economic repercussions of Covid-19 are being felt at the local level. We want to capture how people are coping with and adapting their livelihoods to this dynamism. Specific questions guiding the research include:

• What are the most significant non-conflict shocks, stresses and constraints currently affecting pastoral and agropastoral livelihoods in insecure contexts in Nigeria and Somalia?
• What types of disputes and conflicts are affecting livelihoods for women and men, and what are their impacts?
• What types of actions have been taken to respond to and/or mitigate the various types of disputes and conflicts? 
• Responses and mitigation strategies of interest may include formal and informal mediation and conflict-resolution initiatives, as well as household and community-level adaptations to conflict events.
• When non-conflict shocks (e.g. flooding, drought, price increases) and stresses (e.g. dry-season challenges, elections) occur and/or crises develop, how are disputes and conflict incidences affected?
• How, at an individual and community level, are households adapting livelihood strategies in response to disputes, conflict and other shocks and stresses?

Key findings emerging from this study include insights on the continued impact of land disputes; increasing land scarcity due to illegal mining activity; crime; legacy of conflict disrupting livelihoods; emergence of vigilante groups to protect property and lifestock.