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Can Social Contact Reduce Economic Conflict between Farmers and Herders? Evidence from Nigeria

Last registered on August 19, 2021
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Can Social Contact Reduce Economic Conflict between Farmers and Herders? Evidence from Nigeria
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0005457
Initial registration date
February 13, 2020

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
February 19, 2020, 3:30 PM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
August 19, 2021, 2:46 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
Nigeria
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Soeren Henn
Affiliation
Newcastle University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
James Robinson
PI Affiliation
University of Chicago
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Oeindrila Dube
PI Affiliation
University of Chicago
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2019-11-01
End date
2023-02-28
Keywords
Crime, Violence, & Conflict
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
In this study we will investigate whether “contact” can help resolve the endemic farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria. The Contact Hypothesis postulates that contact between groups can resolve conflicts, yet causal evidence of its effect on active conflicts is limited. Our study will provide the first field experimental micro evidence on whether, and how, contact influences conflict. In collaboration with an NGO, we will conduct a RCT that convenes inter-dialogues with farmers and herders in 63 communities. Our analysis will test whether contact can reduce conflict even when the underlying conflict is economic in nature. In addition, we will provide the first evidence on potential mechanisms through which contact influences conflict. Specifically, we will examine whether this works via the more traditional economic channels of information revelation and commitment, or whether behavioral channels such as de-humanization and the creation of new social links serve as the key mechanisms.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Dube, Oeindrila, Soeren Henn and James Robinson. 2021. "Can Social Contact Reduce Economic Conflict between Farmers and Herders? Evidence from Nigeria." AEA RCT Registry. August 19. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.5457-2.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2020-08-03
Intervention End Date
2022-03-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Conflict, cooperation and economic production.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The intervention consists of inter-dialogue workshops between farmer and herder communities in the Middle Belt of Nigeria. These bring together farmers and herders in two to three-day sessions over which they collectively discuss key challenges and sources of tension within their community.
Experimental Design Details
The intervention consists of inter-dialogue workshops between farmer and herder communities in the Middle Belt of Nigeria. These bring together farmers and herders in two to three-day sessions over which they collectively discuss key challenges and sources of tension within their community. We intend to have a 3 arm study, whereby one arm is assigned to the inter-dialogue intervention, one to control and one to a health workshop. This third health workshop arm will serve as a "neutral" arm, to separate the effect of contact with explicit discussion around conflict from mere contact.
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Community
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
189 communities
Sample size: planned number of observations
2137
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
63 inter-dialogue treatment, 63 health workshop and 63 control communities.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Chicago
IRB Approval Date
2019-09-13
IRB Approval Number
IRB19-1163
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials