The Role of Traditional Rulers in Conflict Resolution in Nasarawa State: A Study of Lafia Local Government Area

Abstract

This paper seeks to examine the relevance of traditional rulers with the aim of investigating their roles, impact and challenges in conflict resolution in Nasarawa State; using Lafia L.G.A as the study area. The institutions of traditional rulership as predated by modern state institutions, and are expected to perform effectively in conflict resolution in every community. The study identifies factors that make them to be ineffective in conflict resolution. These include: political interferences, poor funding, non-provision of constitutional power, and lack of training for the traditional rulers. Qualitative and quantitative approaches are adopted for this study. Primary and secondary data are generated based on the instrumentality of structured questionnaires and extant literature. Descriptive (percentage) and inferential statistical (logistic regression) techniques are used for the analysis. The analysis is made with the aid of The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), which determined the coefficient and probability values. The findings reveal that the roles played by traditional rulers in resolving conflict in the study area are low with 36%; their impediments, 54%; and support for their trainings for enhanced capacity, 68% respectively. On the basis of the findings, we submit that traditional rulers be insulated from partisan politics, be accorded with constitutional powers, be provided with adequate funds, and more importantly, be given regular training to equip them with the best practices and exposure to effective conflict resolution.