Eku Community’s Exemplary Journey to Peace in the Niger Delta

While other communities may seek to exclude herders, the Eku community chose a different approach

The Eku community in Delta State, South-South region of Nigeria, has long enjoyed peace and harmony. People from different backgrounds, like farmers, herders, and waste collectors, have lived together peacefully. But recently, their peaceful coexistence has faced new challenges.

Conflicts between farmers and herders, night grazing, and scavenging have led to theft and property loss. These problems created tension, mistrust, and economic losses. Farms were being destroyed, and this hurt agricultural productivity. The community’s peace and security were at risk, and there was rising anger against the herders and waste collectors, who were mostly non-indigenes.

To address these issues, a Community Peace Architecture (CPA) platform was set up in the community by Search for Common Ground. This platform allowed everyone involved to have constructive conversations and find ways to restore peace.

Hope Ejakpomehwe, the CPA facilitator, explained that many communities wanted to drive the herders away. However, the Eku community chose dialogue over exclusion. “Eku community has coexisted with herders for a long time, and we believe in continued dialogue. That’s why we are here today, to work together to solve these issues. If our model works, we can share it with other communities,” Hope said.

In a significant move, the CPA and Eku community leaders worked together to:

- Form a task force to monitor the activities of herders and farmers.

- Engage herders and scrap yard leaders in open discussions to address concerns.

- Set up joint rules for scrap collection to prevent theft and illegal activities.

- Organize a multi-stakeholder meeting to explore fair solutions for grazing rights and land use.

This collaboration has become a shining example of how conflicts can be resolved peacefully. By focusing on dialogue, Eku is building a future where everyone benefits.

Mohammed Ibrahim, the leader of the herdsmen, added, “We do not support the negative actions of a few individuals, but we are committed to finding common solutions. Open conversations like these are important to us.”

Philo Igue Okpeki, a community leader, echoed this sentiment. “We don’t want violence or separation. We want to work together to find a solution that promotes peace and understanding.”

While other communities may seek to exclude herders, the Eku community chose a different approach, after undergoing Search's Common Ground Approach (CGA) training. They showed that by coming together and engaging in dialogue, peace and cooperation can be achieved.

Let’s learn from Eku’s example. By choosing dialogue over conflict, in the Niger Delta Search for Common Ground and working with partners to implement the CRIN-VIN project across states are building stronger, more peaceful communities in creeks and hard-to-reach locations.

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