Unending Communal Clashes in Nigeria

The heterogeneity of Nigeria has created an avenue where various groups and interests often come in contact. These interactions come in the form of cooperation and sometimes conflict. Communal clashes are a recurring problem in Africa’s socio-political landscape, particularly in Nigeria, dating back to the colonial era. It is often rooted in ethno-religious tensions, land, and boundary disputes. According to the Nextier Violent Conflict Database, from January 2023 to September 2023, there were 14 incidents and 70 casualties (69 deaths and one injury) from communal clashes.

In Nigeria, communal disputes have worsened, leading to disruptions on national or regional peace. Nigeria is one of the most affected countries in terms of communal crises. Local communities in Nigeria have become a hotbed of violent communal strife. Notable communal clashes such as the Erin-Ile and Offa dispute have persisted 58 years after it surfaced. The Ife-Modakeke in Osun, the Zango-Kataf disputes in Kaduna State and the Vandeikya, Obudu and Obanliku disputes in Cross River and Benue states. Most recently, the communal clash between some communities in Cross River and Benue states led to the death of seven youths. This comes after a long history of clashes around the Benue-Cross River border.

Violence begets violence, and these communal clashes have not just occurred as isolated events but have been followed by reprisal attacks. The fatalities of communal violence have affected warring factions and bystanders. In the case of the Erin-Ile and Offa communal clash, it has had economic and social impacts. The social impact manifests as the displacement of about 1,000 people in 2006 and the suspension of academic activities. The closure of markets also impacted economic activities. As with these effects, communal conflicts, wherever they may occur, have similar social and economic impacts. These conflicts have continued to constitute a recurring issue in Nigeria.

Efforts at curbing communal clashes have often fallen short of proactiveness. In the Benue-Cross River border clash, a delegation from the deputy governors of both states convened to discuss ending the conflict. However, similar previous efforts at curbing communal clashes have failed to address the issue. The failures of these interventions could be pointed to a laxity over time in following up on solutions.

Due to Nigeria’s heterogeneity, communal clashes are bound to occur. However, the frequency of these incidents can be approached by using local actors, such as traditional rulers and youth associations to broker peace. Such local actors are well placed to receive capacity building on crisis monitoring and communication, as part of a broader conflict resolution capacity building. They will form part of community-level platforms to resolve disputes and also report to higher authorities. Where these locally-led structures exist, warring parties will be encouraged to seek redress or report disputes without resorting to violence.