BANDITRY AND LIVELIHOOD OF SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

This phenomenon of insecurity has undermined Nigeria’s global status as a peaceful country where people can live in safety and happiness. However, the country is facing political violence, armed conflict and violent crimes of all sorts, including rural banditry. This rising insecurity in the last decade has also made rural banditry to gain currency in Northwestern region of Nigeria. The aftermaths of rural banditry have been traumatic and reasonable proportions of small-scale farmers had lost their lives and agriculture-based livelihoods. It has also forced majority of them to be displaced with their families in this region. Additionally, investments in the agriculture sector are challenged by high poverty among the small-scale farmers due to lack of access to basic needs vis-à-vis social protection nets. The objectives of this paper are to examine the dynamics of banditry in Northwestern Nigeria, to determine the threats of banditry on source of livelihood of small-scale farmers, and to assess the coping strategies adopted by small-scale farmers to cope with banditry in this region. The paper adopts descriptive method by using secondary sources of data whereby the materials were sourced from various knowledge repository centres and platforms, while Routine Activity Theory (RAT) was employed. The paper argues that there is a need for agriculture-based livelihoods for the majority of rural communities and the small-scale farmers in the region because they are facing threats from both natural and human-induced hazards. This paper concludes that there is also the need to strengthen the capacities of the relevant government institutions to build new, resilient food systems for self-sufficiency, work with organized institutions that can support and bring together a polarized population and promote social cohesion in Northwestern Nigeria.