OYO-L-PRES Inaugurates Local Government Committees to Prevent Farmers-Herders Conflicts in Oyo
The Oyo State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (OYO-L-PRES) has inaugurated Local Government Committees on Crisis Prevention and Conflict Mitigation across selected local government areas in the state as part of efforts to promote peaceful coexistence between farming and livestock communities.
Speaking at the inauguration in Ibadan, the Gender Officer of the OYS-LPRES project, Bola Olorode, said the initiative aimed to strengthen the capacity of committee members to effectively manage and resolve conflicts before they escalate.
Olorode explained that the project was currently being implemented in 12 local government areas, with plans to expand to more areas across the state.
According to her, the committees were being sensitised on their responsibilities as conflict resolution actors within their respective local governments, stressing that preventing conflicts between farmers and herders was essential to sustaining food security and agricultural development.
“From time immemorial, we have had farmer-herder conflicts, and we do not want these issues to escalate to a level where they become a threat to the state or eventually affect food security. That is why it is important to re-energise these committee members and support them to fulfil the mandate for which they were established,” she said.
She noted that the selection of the benefiting local governments was based on the level of activities and project needs, rather than being random.
Olorode listed some of the benefiting areas to include Oke-Ogun communities, Akinyele, Ido, Orelope, Olorunsogo, Atisbo, and some local governments within Ibadan metropolis, adding that the project would gradually extend its reach.
“This is just the beginning. We are inaugurating and sensitising them today, but we will continue to engage them, assess their challenges and provide the necessary support to enable them to function effectively,” she added.
She disclosed that OYS-LPRES is a World Bank-funded, six-year intervention project involving 20 states across Nigeria, with Oyo State participating through the support of Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.
Also speaking, the Social Safeguard Officer of OYS-LPRES, Kunle Akande, said the inauguration was designed to create a functional structure at the grassroots level that would serve as the first line of response in preventing and managing conflicts associated with project activities.
Akande described the committee members as “foot soldiers” of the project, whose responsibility would include identifying potential conflicts, promoting peaceful relations among communities and escalating serious issues to the State Project Coordinating Office.
He explained that the establishment of the committees was particularly important because of planned project interventions, including the proposed Livestock Service Centre at Oyo West Local Government, which would be located within the Fashola Farm Hub.
He added that the project had earlier trained its staff on crisis prevention and conflict mitigation, while the current engagement focused on providing local government stakeholders with a clear understanding of their roles.
Akande said the local government committees would comprise about 10 members, with key stakeholders including the council chairman, Director of Agriculture, and leadership of livestock-related associations serving as critical representatives.
Representing the forum of local government chairmen in Oyo State, the Chairman of Akinyele Local Government, Hon. Akinleye, commended the collaboration between the World Bank and OYS-LPRES, describing the initiative as timely.
He said the committees would help explore peaceful solutions to recurring disputes, particularly those involving farmers and herders in rural communities.
According to him, although Oyo State already has laws addressing open grazing and existing security structures across local governments, there remains a need for continuous engagement among stakeholders.
“We welcome this development from the World Bank and OYS-LPRES. As local government chairmen, we are ready to key into the programme and continue engaging farmers and herders to ensure peaceful coexistence and sustainable agricultural activities across the state,” he said.
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