THE CHALLENGES OF TRANSHUMANCE AND INTERNAL SECURITY IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SECURITY IN THE SOUTH-SOUTH GEOPOLITICAL ZONE

Abstract

The research examined the nature of transhumance and the level of humanitarian damage coupled with their impact on food security in the South-South geopolitical zone. Relying on the Structural-Functionalism theory, the study utilized the survey research design as well as the qualitative and quantitative research strategies as the methodological tool. To this end, the multistage/stratified sampling technique was used to derive the population of the study which constitutes some states in the South-South zone, while the Taro Yamane formula was used to scientifically derive the sample size from the population. The study revealed that farming activities have reduced in the South-South region of Nigeria due to the crisis of transhumance which has metamorphosed into food insecurity in the region with 0.712 (71% correlation) @ (p>0.001) significance level. Also, the study found that the internal security challenge posed by farmers-herders conflict discourages people from embarking on agriculture, which has led to constant hike in the prices of crop and livestock production in the South-South with 72% relationship @ p < .001. It concluded that transhumance has created food insecurity and humanitarian crisis in the South-South zone of Nigeria. The study thus recommended that: an effective mechanism through mapping of a holistic security architecture should be put in place, the government should adopt alternative dispute resolutions through dialoguing with the herders and the farmers in the communities, there should be a strict adherence to policy implementation.