IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 19, Issue 10, Ver. V (Oct. 2014), PP 54-62 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org A Historical Analysis of the Migration, Penetration and Diffusion of the Fulani into the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria Agbegbedia Oghenevwoke Anthony (Phd) Peace and Conflict Studies Unit, College of Social and Management Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) Ekiti State Nigeria. Abstract: This paper provides a socio-historical analysis of the migration of the Fulani into the Middle Belt region of Nigeria and their relationship with the indigenous people. The Fulani are an important population group found mainly in the Northern and Middle Belt regions of Nigeria. They are also, with or without justification, identified with rearing of cattle in these regions. This paper thus discussed their migration, penetration and diffusion into the Middle Belt region. It is also a contribution to the current problem of population movements not only in the region, but the entire country. Secondary method of data collection was adopted in this study. Findings reviewed that the geographical location of the region in the transition point between the North and South coupled with its natural endowments makes it a haven for many Nigerian migratory groups in times past as well as presently. Also, its ethno-cultural heterogeneity in addition to its structural economic backwardness makes the region an explosive conflict zones. In sum, the daily increase in migration should be taken into cognisance and the agrarian region should be improved in order to avoid conflicts mostly between farmers and pastoralists in Benue State and the entire Middle Belt region.” Keywords: conflicts, diffusion, Fulani, Middle Belt, migration, penetration I. Introduction The Middle Belt (North Central) region of Nigeria is an area where the indigenous people are predominantly farmers while the settlers (mainly Fulani) are known for their cattle breeding and pastoral activities. This is an area of diffusion resulting from a spontaneous, heavily scattered propagation of nomadic or semi sedentary, full time cattle breeders without adequately fixed legal ownership or usufruct rights to the land they use. In essence, this constitutes a transition to a penetration area in various partial areas of the Jos Plateau, since the peaceful penetration of the settlement areas of other people has developed into an undisputed possession of grazing areas. The appearance of the Fulani in towns where they assumed certain occupational roles such as warriors, courtiers and artisans proved to be more of interference than the peaceful intrusion of the independent cattle breeders. It was little wonder that, the competing native Hausa upper class destroyed the educated, versatile but foreign upper class, together with the remaining Fulani or periodically drove them from the country (Solken, 1937:157 cited in Fricke, 1993). The Fulani in the 18th century represented a sizeable minority in the Hausa states, as well as in the empires of Borno and Jukun. Apart from the herders, there were Mohamedian scholars and artisans among these people who remained in an underprivileged position within the existing social order, into which they were not integrated by adaptation, but rather, retained their special status at courts and in the towns by preserving their Mohamedian beliefs. This pariah situation was further emphasised by the activation of Islam in the 18th century. In 1804 when forced to flee from the king of Gobir, Osman dan Fodio, a preacher from an urban Fulani clan of Torobe (in the Sokoto Province) proclaimed a religious war (jihad). Within a few years, the Hausa states were conquered. Building on the existing territorial and aristocratic order, Osman created a theoretical state of which he himself as Sultan of Sokoto-Gwandu was the ruler of the believers and political overlord at the same time (Fricke, 1993:56). Fricke stated that by 1831, about 15 (fifteen) Mohamedian emirates, under the lordship of Sokoto, controlled an area of about 280,000sq km, about 5 (five) million inhabitants. They were aided by the well-developed administrative organisation of the Hausa states, which they had earlier on taken over. This change affected not only the top authorities of the Hausa states, but also the subordinate administrative centres. In the rural areas, the Fulani were the ruling class. This has remained effective as regards the social structure of western and central northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt region up to the present day. As a reward for war services, Fulani from the towns and even Fulani herders were given villages. These were obliged to pay tribute to them and provide land on which slaves settlements were established. The political and organisational progress of Fulani rule was accompanied by the forced organisation of one section of the labour force in the form of slaves, and the interruption of the development in the areas, which had remained www.iosrjournals.org 54 | Page A Historical Analysis of the Migration, Penetration and Diffusion of the Fulani into the Middle …. independent by compulsory conversion and procurement of labour. However, since slaves were liberated after their conversion to Islam, they gave rise to a broad class whose social status was in most cases guaranteed as clientele of an important man and a further dependency resulted from the right of the upper class to control the land. It is in response to the above that this paper attempted a historical analysis of the nexus between migrations, penetration and diffusion in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. Identifying the Middle Belt region as a migratory corridor for most ethnic nationalities in pre-colonial Nigeria, the paper argued that the prevalence of migrations in the area results from a plethora of often inter-related reasons, which are also multi-dimensional in form, nature and character. Besides, a region of great human migrations dating back to the pre-colonial epoch, the Middle Belt region has had its own fair share of these contradictions at enormous human and material costs. It is against this backdrop that this paper examined the various movement and integration of the Fulani into the Middle Belt region. Our analysis also highlighted changes in relationships between the Fulani and the indigenous people (farmers) of the Middle Belt, and how this has affected development and peace in the region mostly as regards pastoralists/farmers relations. The paper is divided into four main sections. Section one examined the theoretical and conceptual issues associated with migration, penetration and diffusion. Section two discussed the origin and dominance of the Fulani and their manifestations on group contact and interactions in the middle belt region of Nigeria. Section three is the heart of our analysis in this study and it examined the implications of these movements and relations among the communities in the Middle Belt region of the country. Section four summarized the main arguments of the paper in what is essentially the conclusion. II. Objectives Of The Study ●To analyse the migration, penetration and diffusion processes of the Fulani into the Midlle Belt region of Nigeria. ●To examine the structural characteristics of pastoralists and farmers’ interaction in the region. ●To evaluate the implications of this movement in the Middle Belt region. III. Methodology The study adopted the analytic cum historical research design. Data were collected through secondary sources. The source included published books, journals and internet materials among others. IV. Significance Of The Study This study focused on how the Fulani as well as other tribes from different parts of the country migrated into the Middle Belt region. Thus, the significance of the study include among others, the following: ● It will contribute to the total stock of knowledge in the area ● The outcome of this study would therefore be of great intellectual and practical value to a generation of stakeholders, academia, scholars, agriculturists and policy makers amongst others. V. Conceptual Clarification As a matter of fact, concepts, theoretical considerations and the methods and techniques of inquiry are intricately interwoven with each other. This is base on the fact that they determine the selection and arrangement of facts and our evaluation of them. More so, they determine what a researcher either observes or fails to observe during the process of gathering and interpreting data. It is due to these reasons that this section shall attempt to identify and explain briefly at least, a conceptual and theoretical issue underpinning the subject matter of this paper which is migration. 5.1. Migration The subject matter of migration is important in the history of a people. This perhaps explains the reason why in an attempt to understand the history of a people, their source of origin, how they left their original homes and the reasons for leaving are unavoidable questions to which answers must be provided. Migration means the movement of people from one place to another (Okpeh, 2008:22). Such movement is often underpinned by the inter-play of socio-economic and political variables operating in the source and destination of the movement. In essence, inter-group migrations are responses to the process of development, making it really difficult to arrive at empirically meaningful generalizations regarding the process. Stern concurred with the above when he noted that: On occasion, we lose sight of the fact that human migrations, like all social phenomena, are social processes, which are historically conditioned. Thus, we can expect variations in migration flows across time and space, not only in so far as their characteristics are concerned, but also in their closest determinants and the meaning attributable to them. We also forget at times that migrations are parts of larger social processes. It is www.iosrjournals.org 55 | Page A Historical Analysis of the Migration, Penetration and Diffusion of the Fulani into the Middle ….