INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS SOCIO-CULTURAL FORMS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ADULT EDUCATION FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION BETWEEN PASTORAL NOMADS AND HOST COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA

Conflict between pastoral nomads and host communities in Nigeria today have resulted in the degradation of the environment, and the impoverishment of the host communities. This has occasioned banditry, criminality and even armed insurgency by nomads and host communities. Strategies identified by government and researchers geared towards resolving the conflict and ensuring peaceful co-existence between farmers and herders have not helped to a large extent. Such strategies include among others, establishment of cattle colony in the federating states, establishment of the Commissions of Enquiry, and deployment of securities, environmental dialogue, environmental communication, environmental mediation, regular environmental sensitization meetings. In spite of the above-mentioned strategies, the conflict still persisted. This paper explored some of the indigenous socio-cultural forms which can be integrated in environmental adult education for forestalling conflict between pastoral nomads and their host communities in Nigeria. The paper concludes that since environmental adult education thrives on the experience of the participants derivable from their value systems which brings to bear in learning, efforts should be made to utilize these sociocultural forms which embody peoples' values systems in mobilizing and educating herders and farmers on the need for peaceful co-existence.