Beyond Resource-Use Conflict in the Escalation of Fulani Herdsmen and Farmer Conflict in Nigeria by Olayiwola, Opeyemi Ademola, (demolawhoisoneofyou@yahoo.com) Graduate student, Pan African University (African Union Commission), Thematic Centre of Governance & Regional Integration, University of Yaounde II, Cameroon; Intern, Peace and Security Department, African Union Commission Headquarters, Correspondent, Organization for World Peace Abstract This study agrees with previous studies in reference to the escalation of conflicts between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria, however, it also argues that it is beyond resource-use conflict, and that one should not use the lens of climate change as the causative factor to approach it. Therefore, in order to justify this position, this study analysed the underlying factors responsible for the escalation of conflicts that has generated several narratives; and calls for a diagnose of the root cause of this conflict to conclude that it should not be fixed in a narrow set of narratives, but rather in a way that incorporates the human needs of identity, recognition, understanding and protection. Introduction The violent clashes between Fulani herdsmen and sedentary farmers in Nigeria do not constitute an alien phenomenon in Nigeria; it is a phenomenon that has been in existence for decades (Okwor, 2016). A study of major sources of conflicts between the Fulani pastoralists and farmers shows that land related issues, especially over grazing fields, account for the highest percentage of the conflicts (Abbass, 2012). In other words, economically viable land has been a major cause of conflict between communities in Nigeria (Tenuche and Olarewaju, 2009). 98 Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol.12.9, March 2019