Figure 1: The Secretary to the Nasarawa State Peace Architecture Dialogue (PAD) reading the minute of the 11th PAD. FINAL REPORT: SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 – AUGUST 31, 2020 Transforming Farmer-Herder Conflicts and Promoting Freedom of Religions and Belief in Nigeria’s Middle Belt OCTOBER 30, 2020 Contract Number: 6002993 Funding Period: September 1, 2018 – August 31, 2020 Sher Nawaz Abou El Mahassine Fassi-Fifri Nigeria Country Director West Africa Regional Director Search for Common Ground Search for Common Ground House # 11, 6th Avenue, Dakar, Senegal Gwarinpa, Abuja, Nigeria [email protected] [email protected] Transforming Farmer-Herder Conflicts Final Report Table of Contents 1. Scope of Work Summary 3 2.Executive Summary 4 3 Context Update 5 4. Activities Contributing to Objective 1 7 5. Activities Contributing to Objective 2 13 6. Activities Contributing to Objective 3 16 7. M&E Activities 19 8.Sustainability 21 9. Output Tracker 22 Annex A: Details of Transformative Dialogue Processes 23 Annex B: Details of CSAD Meetings 24 Annex C: CSAD Action Plans 25 Annex D: PAD Action Plans 35 Annex E: Details from Advocacy and Bilateral Meetings 36 Annex F: Conflict Sensitivity Media Roundtable Communiques 38 Search for Common Ground | NIGERIA 2 Transforming Farmer-Herder Conflicts Final Report Scope of Work Summary Search for Common Ground (Search) began implementing the 24-month project entitled “Transforming Farmer-Herder Conflicts and Promoting Freedom of Religions and Belief in Nigeria’s Middle Belt” on September 1, 2018, with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The project was designed to address the escalation in the violence and the loss of human lives and property as a result of farmers-herders conflicts in Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue states. Search believes that if key governmental institutions, security forces, civil society organizations, and critical community actors come together as partners with shared skills and knowledge regarding the implications of impunity, accountability, rule of law, and current responses to farmer-herder conflicts, then they will build a strong collaboration that can effectively identify and implement initiatives to address the causes, drivers, and consequences of farmer-herder conflicts, combat impunity, and strengthen the rule of law and accountability measures for the prevention of violence and protection of human lives, and the rights and dignity of people. The overall goal to contribute to preventing violence and the destruction of lives and properties resulting from protracted violent conflicts between farmers and herders while combating impunity and promoting the freedom of religions and belief in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. The overall goal is supported by three specific objectives and three expected results, which guide the project’s activities: ● Objective 1: To increase collaboration between farmer and herder communities to develop joint, effective, sustainable local mechanisms for early warning response, dispute management, and violence prevention and mitigation at the community level; o Expected Result 1.1: Farmer and herder communities expand ownership over a sustained and scaled peace and community security architecture and early warning system that includes law enforcement, government, civil society actors, traditional and religious leaders for prevention of violence and address the causes, drivers, and consequences of farmer-herder conflicts. o Expected Result 1.2: Farmer and herder communities improved engagement and collaboration with policymakers at state and federal level on effective response to prevent violence, promote freedom of religion and belief, enhance the rule of law, and address the causes, drivers, and consequences of violent farmer-herder conflicts. ● Objective 2: To mobilize religious leaders and policymakers to jointly counter violent rhetoric through positive public messages of religious pluralism and respect of human rights; and o Expected Result 2.1: Civil society actors and community actors engage government actors to address impunity and strengthen accountability measures for effective response in preventing and mitigating violent farmer-herder conflicts. o Expected Result 2.2: Relevant federal government and focal state governments have improved and comprehensive approach to prevent violence and impunity, enhanced accountability by responders to protect the rights of both farmers and herders. Search for Common Ground | NIGERIA 3 Transforming Farmer-Herder Conflicts Final Report ● Objective 3: To enhance public understanding of the farmer-herder conflicts by promoting conflict sensitive contents and countering hate speech, stereotypes, biases, and negative narratives that fuel violence. o Expected Result 3.1: Increased availability of objective, neutral, and conflict sensitive analysis and information related to farmer-herder issues, including the herder community’s perspective of the conflict, for the public. o Expected Result 3.2: Improved capacity of the media to provide coverage on addressing impunity, enhancing accountability and the rule of law in addressing the causes, drivers, and consequences of farmer-herder conflict in the focal states. Search for Common Ground | NIGERIA 4 Transforming Farmer-Herder Conflicts Final Report 1. Executive Summary Search launched the project “Transforming the Farmer-Herder Conflicts and Promoting Freedom of Religion and Beliefs in Nigeria’s Middle-Belt” with funding from the government of the Netherlands in September, 2018. The activities under the three objectives of the project were implemented in the three target states of Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau. This report captures the impacts and outcomes of the project for the period covering 1st September, 2018 to 31st August 2020. The activities under the three objectives of the project were implemented in the three target states of Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau and eight flashpoint or high-risk Local Government Areas (LGAs), namely Guma and Otukpo in Benue state, Doma and Keana in Nasarawa state, and Barkin- Ladi, Riyom, Jos North and Jos South in Plateau state. The project built on existing platforms to establish Community Security Architecture Dialogues (CSAD) in each of the 8 target LGAs and 3 Peace Architecture Dialogues (PAD) in each of the target states and has through its initiatives deepened the peace and improved relationships between and among stakeholders in the region. Community members have braced securing their environment among themselves and in collaboration with relevant and respective government actors in order Figure 1: Woman leader speaking at intra-dialogue in to reduce violence as well as restore peace. Jos North LGA of Plateau state, November 2018 With the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Search experienced some disruptions in already planned physical activities on the project as a result of the restriction of movements and gatherings across the Country. As a result, Search’s team conducted an assessment with its stakeholders to determine the best platform to continue implementation of Project activities despite the pandemic which led to implementation of virtual State Peace Architecture Dialogue meetings while Search team continued to give technical support to the CSADs in their various communities and Local Government Areas (LGAs). Search implemented 6 trainings on conflict transformation, human rights, and dialogue to build their capacity to address the issues raised in the platform. These platforms not only provide a space for collaboration between farmer and herder communities on conflict issues, but they have also increased relationships and information sharing directly from communities with state and LGA government authorities and security agencies. To facilitate an immediate response to issues at the community level, Search organized nine series of intra- and inter-dialogues, made up of 9 inter-dialogues and 18 intra-dialogues, with flashpoint communities in the target LGAs. Search organized three Conflict Sensitivity trainings, one in each state. This activity was followed up with 6 Conflict Sensitivity Media Roundtables, two in each of the three target states, with 3 held physically and 3 held virtually as a result of restriction of gatherings and movement during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, aimed to enhance public understanding of the Search for Common Ground | NIGERIA 5 Transforming Farmer-Herder Conflicts Final Report farmer-herder conflicts by promoting conflict sensitive contents and, countering hate speech, stereotypes, biases and negative narratives that fuel violence. Search convened 75 Community Security Architecture Dialogues which provided the space for conflict management, linkages and early warning and response to farmer and herder conflicts across 8 hotspot conflict LGAs (Guma and Otukpo in Benue State, Doma and Keana at Nasarawa State and Riyom, Jos North, Jos South and Barkin Ladi LGAs at Plateau State in the Project States. Search convened 33 Figure 2: Men’s Group discussion during the State level Peace Architecture Dialogue follow up farmers intra dialogue held in Jos south LGA of Plateau state, November 2018. meetings which allowed for improved collaboration amongst stakeholders, resolution of lingering farmer and herder conflicts during dialogue engagements implemented by the PADs and development of strategies for the sustainability of the State PAD in Benue and Nasarawa States. 4 Conflict Sensitivity and Human Rights trainings were held for Government actors across the project