Summary

Conflicts and violent crisis are often the aftermath of poverty and other forms of social injustice prevailing within human communities. This analysis of Nigeria demonstrates that social injustice alone does not fully explain violent conflict.

The chapter critically discusses the Nigerian context, the nature of violent conflicts and their impact on communities. It also explores the ways which have been tried to mitigate the eruption or escalation of violent conflicts in Nigeria. It looks at centre-outward initiatives and suggests that where they have not worked or have had limited effect, the limited role given to community development has been a factor in their failures. Then it goes on to look at initiatives which have had a community development dimension.

It is argued that community development to promote social justice for the victims of poverty, displacement and violent conflict in Nigeria can reduce these threats to wellbeing. Freire (1993) maintained that any person who proclaims commitment to the liberation of individuals and communities from the shackles of poverty, displacement and violent crisis but is unable to enter into communion with the people, is self-deceiving. This chapter maintains that a peacebuilding process to create social justice and liberation for the victims of poverty, displacement and violent conflict needs to get closer to the poor and marginalised by engaging them in the process.

Setting the scene

The causes of violent conflicts in Nigeria

Very often the causes of conflict are contested. This is particularly true in Nigeria. It is very important to understand that violent conflict in Nigeria is not all of one form or one kind of location. The conflicts have multiple and different causes.

Structural causes

There are historical and contemporary structural reasons why the potential for conflict is deeply rooted in Nigeria.

It is important to understand how Nigeria was created in the first place. The name was coined by Flora Shaw, a Times of London journalist in 1897. She later married Lord Lugard who was the governor of the two entities which became Nigeria in 1914. Lord Lugard described it as a forced marriage between the north and south of what became Nigeria.