The Ekiti State Government has convened key stakeholders to review the progress of mediation platforms established to promote peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders across the state’s 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The review took place at a one-day stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), in collaboration with the Ekiti State Farmers-Herders Peace Committee held Ado-Ekiti.

Speaking at the well attended forum ,the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Brig.-Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (Rtd.), urged stakeholders to strengthen existing peacebuilding and conflict-resolution mechanisms at the grassroots level.

He stressed the importance of early intervention, intelligence gathering, dialogue and collaboration among farmers, herders, traditional institutions, local government councils and security agencies to prevent disputes from escalating into crises.

Ogundana called on members of the mediation platforms to remain committed to their responsibilities, ensuring that complaints and disputes are addressed promptly through dialogue and peaceful resolution.

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Ojo Oluwasegun, commended the initiative, noting that local government councils have a significant role to play in sustaining peace within their communities.

He called for greater collaboration among stakeholders and urged committees to remain active, responsive and accessible to both farmers and herders.

The State Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Mr Olayinka Adedipe, commended the Ekiti government for pioneering the Farmers-Herders Peace Committee model, which he said has since been adopted as a template by other states establishing similar committees.

Adedipe reaffirmed L-PRES’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote peace, resilience and sustainable development in the agricultural and livestock sectors.

He explained that effective mediation platforms provide a structured avenue for the timely resolution of farmers-herders disputes, protecting livelihoods and fostering a conducive environment for agricultural and livestock activities.

The Project Coordinator added that the distribution of operational materials — including complaint boxes, conflict register books and mobile phones — would strengthen the capacity of Local Government-level committees to document complaints, facilitate communication and respond effectively to emerging conflicts.

The meeting brought together representatives of the state government, chairmen of local government councils, farmers’ groups, herders’ associations, security agencies, traditional institutions and other relevant stakeholders, who reaffirmed their commitment to continuous dialogue, peaceful conflict resolution and stronger collaboration in pursuit of lasting peace between farmers and herders across Ekiti State.

The forum also featured the reactivation of Local Government-level conflict resolution committees and the distribution of operational materials to strengthen their capacity.