INTER-COMMUNITY CONFLICTS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN THE NIGER DELTA, NIGERIA: THE POLITICS, THE GEOGRAPHY AND THE PROSPECTS FOR ENDURING PEACE

Abstract

Since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the country has experienced various kinds of violent conflict and these have hindered its quest for development. The experiences cut-across the six geo-political zones of the country. Conflicts in the South-South geo-political zone (the Niger Delta region of Nigeria) are of various categories and the management strategies of these conflicts are determined by the type of conflict. This paper examines the various factors surrounding the occurrence and recurrence of inter-community conflicts and the gaps in the management strategies. The scope of the paper is to identify the inter-community conflicts management strategies and provide answers to why those strategies have not effectively curbed some of the recurring inter community conflicts. To achieve this, we conducted interviews and focus group discussions stakeholders and actors in four communities in Delta State. The choice of the communities beyond the fact that they have been involved in recurring conflicts was because studies have shown that the causes and management strategies of inter-community conflicts in the Niger Delta are significantly the same. Therefore, the views of actors, victims, and stakeholders in the conflicts in these communities are insightful and detailed for our analysis. In addition, a survey of academic publications and reports, government gazettes and reports of some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) were utilized.