Conflicts in Nigeria: The Detrimental Effects and The Way Forward.
By Franklin Chukwuemeka Izundu
Email: izufranklinmary@gmail.com
izundufranklin2@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION.
An American economist, Ludwig Von Mises, made the following well founded observation…’’Society has arisen out of the works of peace; the essence of society is peace-making. Peace and not war is the father of all thing’’.
Nigeria have experienced the absence of peace for decades, series of conflicts and crisis have bedevilled it, these conflicts have drastically hindered its growth economically and otherwise. These conflicts are often between Muslims and Christians, or Farmers and Herders, some other times it arises from clash between tribes.
For dacades, Nigeria have recorded numerous clashes which had either resulted from Biafran agitation or from insurgent attacks by Boko Haram also known as ‘’Jama’atu Ahl as Sunnah II-Da’awatu wal-Jihad and other Islamic insurgent groups or from banditry in the north-western part of Nigeria or from the disastrous farmer-herder conflict.
Conflict destroys, eliminates and leaves the society in ruins. Coser (1956) aptly captured this in his definition of conflict. He wrote… ‘’ Conflict is a struggle over values and claims to scarce status, power and resources in which the aims of the opponents are to neutralise, injure or eliminate the rival’’ the definition of conflict rendered by Coser simply reveals that every society experiencing conflict will lose a great deal of people and properties, and will unequivocally be devoid of development.
On the flipside, peace in its very essence, is the state prevailing during the absence of war, conflict and unrest. Little wonder philosophers defined peace as the Absence of war, armed conflict, violence or instability. When there is peace in the society, there is development. Generally, a peaceful environment fosters human potential, creativity, and teamwork, all of which contribute to the general advancement of society.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME CONFLICTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN NIGERIA.
The major conflict that claimed many lives in Nigeria was the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigeria-Biafra war, it lasted from the 6th of July 1967 to 15th of January 1970. It was a conflict between the government of Nigeria and the state of Biafra. Biafra was a partially recognised state in west Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967-1970. The Nigerian military proceeded to attempt reclaiming the territory, and the Nigerian civil war was its aftermath. Before the war ended, there were about 100,000 overall military casualties, while between 500,000 and 2million Biafran Civilians died of starvation.
In the year 1980, there was a violent conflict in the city of Kafanchan, Kaduna State, Nigeria. There were two major religious groups at the Kaduna State College of Education, which were the Fellowship of Christian Students and Muslim Student Association. These two groups were nursing a quarrel on why one should dominate the campus, the quarrel grew to a point where Muslim students organised a protest in Kafanchan town and even burnt down the church at the college. After a while, the Christian students responded. Mosques were burnt down, and many lives were lost too.
In 2001 there was a two-week riot involving Christians and Muslims in Jos Plateau State Nigeria, over the appointment of a Muslim politician, Alhaji Muktar Mohammed, as local coordinator of the federal poverty alleviation program. It was estimated that 1000 lives were lost during this riot. Since 2009, the Boko Haram insurgency began in Nigeria, an armed rebellion against the government of nigeria, geared towards establishing an Islamic state. It is recorded that over 50,000 people have been killed by boko haram.
Recently, on the eve of Christmas, precisely on the 24th of December, 2023, Bokkos, a village in Plateau State, Nigeria, was attacked by bandits, and hundreds of persons were killed. The litany is a lengthy one, as a matter of fact, Nigeria currently ranks 9th in the list of most dangerous countries in Africa.
A SYNOPSIS OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA
A lot of consequences arise from the numerous conflict affecting Nigeria, these consequences impact on the economic, social and psychological life of Nigerians.
First, is the loss of lives and properties, people die en masse, for instance, it was recorded that between 500,000 and 2million lives were lost during the Nigerian Civil war. Loss of lives can also be as a result of the use of weapons of mass destruction. In addition to that, Thousands are also displaced during conflicts.
Furthermore, the economy of the country is also affected. Disruptions from conflicts can lower investment, productivity, and development. Constant conflicts lead to economic instability, poverty, and unemployment. the output of agricultural produce has drastically reduced due to the farmer-herder conflict.
Sequel to that, people who are impacted by conflicts may experience stress, anxiety, and trauma, which can result in long-term mental health problems in communities.
Also, conflicts impact on subsequent generations, though the Nigerian civil war ended in the year 1970, there is always an existing tension between the northerners and easterners, most of whom did not even experience the war. The truth is, conflicts have the potential to prolong grievances.
During wars, violation of human right becomes rampant. Violence, discrimination, and exploitation, frequently take place during conflicts and result in the loss of fundamental freedoms and rights.
Institutions can be weakened or destroyed as a result of conflicts, eroding trust in governance and the rule of law. Examples include schools, hospitals, and government structures.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
Nigeria cannot continue to wallow in endless conflicts, this menace needs to be brought to an end, to achieve this aim, the crucial steps to consider are:
Dialogue: like a bridge, dialogue fosters mutual understanding and helps to clear up misunderstanding that can create conflicts. It is essential to promote open communication among various ethnic, religious, and regional groups to settle issues and create common ground through nonviolent ways.
Good governance: Good governance emphasises equitable, efficient and responsible management of public and cooperate resources for the benefit of all. It also involves strengthening governance mechanisms and encouraging transparency. The Nigerian government should eliminate corruption in order to boost institutional confidence and promote equitable resource allocation.
Inclusive Laws: these are laws that encourage inclusivity, equity, and respect for diversity in order to solve socioeconomic imbalances between different groups.
Strengthening the Security Sector: This entails strengthening The Nigerian armed forces, while upholding human rights and the rule of law in order to successfully confront violence and safeguard citizens.
Reconciliation and fairness: Nigeria should create procedures for reconciliation, accountability, and justice in order to address previous grievances and promote healing within affected communities.
I firmly think that taking the aforementioned actions will help to bring peace back to Nigeria. Worthy to note is the fact that, to achieve long-term peace in Nigeria, these ideas would require ongoing commitment, stakeholder participation, and a holistic approach.
REFERENCES
Cedric H. G and Raymond M. K (2007) Governance, Conflict Analysis & Conflic Resolution. Ian Randle Publishers.
Coser, L.A. (1956). The functions of social conflicts. Glencoe, IL: The free press.
Chinua, Achebe (2012) There was a country, a personal history of Biafra. Pearson fourth dimension publishers.
Ludwig Von Mises (1951) Socialism an Economic and sociological Analysis. Yale University press
Madiebo, Alex (1980) The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafra War Fourth Dimension Publishers.
Onyema Nkwocha (2010) The Republic of Biafra: once upon a time in Nigeria: my story of the Biafra-Nigeria Civil War- A Struggle for survival (1967-1970) Bloomington: AuthorHouse, 25. ISBN 978-1-4520-6867-1.
Vocabulary.com ‘’Peace,’’ accessed 4th January 2024, www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/peace
’Who are Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamist group?’’ BBC News. 24 November 2016. Retrieve 5th January 2024
