DEADLINE: 27TH MAY, 2022
FOUNDATION FOR PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES IN THE NIGER DELTA
REQUESTS FOR PROPOSAL: INTERVENTIONS TO MITIGATE THE HERDER-FARMER CONFLICT IN THE NIGER DELTA
BACKGROUND
The Foundation for Partnerships Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) is a non-profit organization that promotes peace and equitable economic growth in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region through multi-stakeholder partnerships. This work is funded with the support of the Chevron Corporation and other esteemed partners and collaborators. PIND works closely with numerous partners to implement collaborative market-based, community-owned programs to mitigate conflicts and boost economic opportunities for local businesses, ensuring that economic progress occurs in a systemic, inclusive, and sustainable manner. With an overarching goal of reducing conflict and poverty in the region, PIND has two main programs: Economic development program focused on generating opportunities for pro-poor market development and employment generation. · Peace-building program that strengthens conflict resolution mechanisms for enabling integrated peace and economic growth. Four key enablers support these programs: · The enablers: ‘ ‘PIND’s program delivery is enabled by an integrated approach that encompasses capacity building, advocacy, communications, gender, and social inclusion.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The relationship between arable farmers and cattle herders in Nigeria has often been characterized by conflict over access to agricultural land for farming and grazing, especially in the northern part of the country. The conflict has intensified over the years, spreading to the southern parts of the country including the Niger Delta. Underlying the escalation of the conflict in the region is the convergence of environmental and demographic factors, including increase in human population and depletion of arable land for agriculture and livestock production. The increasing depletion of arable land as a result of urbanization, as well as the harmful effects of climate change has intensified conflict between herders and farmers.
Over the years, the herder-farmer conflict has assumed violent and criminal dimensions, and it has evolved to include other actors such as security agencies, religious and ethnic groups, political interest groups, cattle rustlers, kidnappers among others. The conflict has also led to religious and ethnic division, political tension, destruction of agriculture and livestock products, food insecurity, forced migration and internal displacement, loss of lives and destruction of properties.
In the Niger Delta, the herder-farmer conflict has intensified since 2016, causing hundreds of deaths, destruction of properties and livelihoods, and internal displacement of several residents. According to data, the conflict caused over 200 fatalities in more than 180 reported incidents between 2016 and 2021. Recent incidents also indicate that clashes between herders and farmers are increasingly becoming frequent, more lethal and geographically dispersed in the Niger Delta. The intensity and frequency of these conflicts vary from one State and community to another, and largely depends on a number of demographic, environmental, economic, and political factors. According to data, the herder-farmer conflict is widespread in the Niger Delta, but more intense and prevalent in Delta, Ondo, and Edo State. Notwithstanding the variation in intensity and frequency of occurrence, the lingering herder-farmer conflict has become a threat to human security, communal peace and stability, and economic development in the region.
The increasing levels of violence as a result of the lingering herder-farmer conflict has made some of the State governments in the region such as Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, and Ondo to enact laws proscribing open grazing of cattle. However, the enforcement of the laws restricting open grazing has further intensified clashes between herders and their host communities in some States. The introduction of laws banning open grazing has also resulted in the mass migration of herders to States such as Cross River, Imo and Edo, where open grazing is still allowed, thereby increasing communal tensions and intensifying clashes between farmers and herders.
According to data, the herder-farmer conflict in the Niger Delta is mainly driven by a variety of interrelated and often overlapping historical tensions and grievances, and a number of demographic, environmental, economic, and political factors. If these tensions and grievances are not addressed appropriately, they could intensify ethno-communal hostilities and make the conflict more intense and prolonged in ways that could derail the broader peacebuilding objectives of PIND and other stakeholders in the region. Therefore the need for more targeted and community-driven peacebuilding intervention to mitigate the conflict.
Based on the foregoing, The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) is seeking proposals from Civil Society Organisations to carry out conflict management interventions to address herders and farmers clashes in hotspot communities of Cross River, Delta, Edo and Ondo States under its Small grant project. The PIND’s small grants project supports CSOs to address drivers of conflict in communities of the Niger Delta.
PIND will prioritize proposals from CSOs that adopt any of the following conflict mitigation strategies:
(i) Encouraging dialogue between Herders and farmers and some affiliated groups to both parties in the affected communities especially as it concerns addressing land disputes, ethno-communal disputes and or interethnic religious conflicts.
(ii) Empowering existing peace associations/ committees in the various communities where herders and farmers crisscross with skills to become more effective peace makers as well as replicating peace committee structures in communities that do not have them.
(iii) Encouraging the peaceful transition of power from any herders and farmer groups as well as community leaders to the next.
(iv) Emphasizing capacity building and enlightenment to herders and farmer leaders as well as community leaders on principles such as leadership, effective communication, good neighbourliness, transparency and dialogue as a means to prevent incessant distrust and suspicions in the communities.
(v) Providing platforms for peaceful dialogue between herders and farmers while incorporating other relevant stakeholders within the communities.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The specific objectives of the project include the following;
(a) To research and identify the underlying causes and drivers of the herder-farmer conflict in specific communities in the target States.
(b) To utilize evidence-based information generated from research to design and implement conflict mitigation and peacebuilding interventions to proactively address the deeper drivers of the conflict in target communities and LGAs.
(c) To identify systems, structures, and leverage institutions in the target communities and LGAs to engender sustainable peacebuilding, social cohesion and economic cooperation.
(d) To strengthen existing community-based structures and create new platforms to support dialogue between herders and farmers in the target States.
(e) To build the capacities of local peace actors in target communities and LGAs for enhanced conflict mitigation and peacebuilding.
HOW TO APPLY
Eligible organizations are invited to submit detailed technical and cost proposals AS SEPARTE DOCUMENTS to procurement@pindfoundation.org with the subject heading “Herder/Farmers Conflict Interventions Proposal” along with the below listed mandatory item/supporting documents not later than May 27th 2022 by 23:59 WAT.
The proposal will have two parts;
i) The technical proposal outlining the project for which the grant is requested, the expected results and key activities (no more than 8-10 pages excluding attachments). Proposal template is attached in Appendix 1 for guidance and
ii) Financial proposal (detailed budget (in Naira) and notes as applicable) Budget template is attached in Appendix 2. The financial section should also indicate any cost shares or contributions from the grantee where applicable.
