Community-based Structures and Edutainment for Farmer-Herder Peacebuilding: Formative Evidence from Oyo State, Nigeria

Farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria constitute a persistent security crisis, with Oyo State emerging as a critical hotspot driven by resource competition, climate-induced migration, and weak land-use governance. This study employed a mixed-methods design to assess conflict dynamics and the potential of edutainment and community-based peacebuilding in the state, drawing on 148 household surveys, nine Focus Group Discussions (81 participants), and two Key Informant Interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and OLS mediation regression with bootstrapped indirect effects. Findings show that JDPM-led structures, including town hall dialogues, conflict resolution committees, and early warning systems, have improved farmer-herder communication, yet social integration (52.0%), peace-readiness (54.7%), and peaceful predisposition (55.4%) remained low. Herders demonstrated significantly stronger social integration (t = -4.34) and peaceful predisposition (t = -6.96) than farmers. Edutainment exposure was positively associated with social integration (β = 0.1656), which in turn was positively associated with peaceful predisposition (β = 0.4786). Being female was negatively associated with social integration (β = -0.4607, p < 0.001), while herder identity was positively associated with both social integration (β = 0.6004) and peaceful predisposition (β = 0.3648). Prior conflict exposure negatively predicted both outcomes, underscoring that unresolved grievances remain a structural constraint on peace attitudes independent of edutainment engagement. Radio, mobile phones, and WhatsApp were effective dissemination channels, though language diversity, infrastructure gaps, and gendered access constrained reach. Integrating edutainment with community-driven mechanisms offers a scalable pathway for rebuilding trust and sustaining long-term peace.