Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will increase UK aid to Nigerian international development projects, in particular those affected by recent violence involving Fulani herdsmen.

The UK is acutely aware of the human suffering caused by inter-communal violence between cattle herders and farmers in Nigeria. Reports of violence involving Fulani herdsmen have increased in recent weeks. The conflicts between herders and farmers are economic in nature and largely driven by competition over land and resources, which is exacerbated by population growth and climate change.

DFID has set up the £39 million Nigerian Stability and Reconciliation Programme, which works across various conflicts in Nigeria, including herder-farmer tensions. This programme is supporting a number of economic initiatives that bring cattle herder and farmer communities together to work on projects which provide people with livelihoods and better economic opportunities. The programme also enables communities to agree on rules for land and water use, and provide them with mediation skills to prevent violent disputes.