Ethnic Groups And Conflicts In Nigeria The Northcentral Sic Zone Of Nigeria

This book represents a serious attempt to develop new strategies to manage the ethnic conflicts that continue to undermine Nigeria's efforts at democratic consolidation. Case studies discuss the socio- economic and political dynamics that fuel ethnic conflicts; highlight the limitations to their management; and propose civil society approaches. The book is organised into three parts. The first analyses basic concepts at play, such as ethnicity and ethnic conflict, specifically in the Nigerian context, and against the background of the position of civil society and development in the country. The second part comprises six case studies spread across Nigeria's six geo-political regions. The third section concentrates on the critical issue of civil society empowerment, and proposes ways to enhance its creative participation in the country's development.

In view of the explosion of violent conflicts in many parts of the world and the hasty, but prevailing, assumption that ethnicity is the source of these conflicts, this book is encompassed to highlight, describe and examine how ethnicity is politicized in many of these current conflicts. By deploying the instrumentalist approach and the theory of identity and difference in ethnicity, the author identifies the actors involved and depicts how religion is exploited as an instrument of division by reflecting it on the Nigerian situation, exploring the examples of the Jos conflicts and the Warri Crisis within a twenty years period, 1990 to 2010.

Since the 1990s, attempts at democratic transition have generated hopes for 'civil society' as well as ambivalence about the state. The interdisciplinary studies gathered here explore this dynamic through the complex interactions of state fragility, self-help, and self-organization in Nigeria. Nigeria stands as a particularly interesting case, as its multifaceted associational life extends far beyond civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs): as this volume reveals, there is a 'third sector' of Nigerian society encompassing everything from community self-help programs to ethno-religious affiliations to militias. Some of these formations have narrow, pragmatic aims, while others have an explicit socio-cultural or political agenda; most can be understood as compensating for the state's failure to deliver services and maintain regulatory frameworks. By examining the emergence of broader forms of civil society, this volume considers their successes while also assessing their costs and contradictions.

This work is a reconstruction of the Pre?colonial, colonial and post-colonial history of the Yakurr of South Eastern Nigeria. It is primarily, based on Yakurr Oral Sources. The Study provides a historical foundation hence its title. It is hoped that future historians shall build upon that foundation. However, the work examines the collapse of the Wukari Empire (Jukun/Kororofa) and the development of the Atlantic Slave trade as the principal causal factors of the migrations of the various peoples who now occupy the middle and upper Cross River Regions. Such people include the Yalla, Ukelle (upper Cross River), Boki, Agbo, Bahumono, Mbembe and Yakurr (middle Cross River) region.

Ever since the British created Nigeria in 1914 without regard to the cultural differences and incompatibility of the people in the northern and southern protectorates, the nation has been wracked by problems. The Nigerian civil war fought from 1967 to 1970 and the agitation for restructuring of the political system are just a few examples of the violence that has crippled the nation. With the Nigerian people issuing a sustained call for change, it’s clear that they are not satisfied with the current system of government. So far, leaders have not responded to the discontent, but they’d be well served by holding a referendum to decide what kind of political system to adopt. The referendum must be conducted if Nigeria has any chance of stepping away from the precipice. With a plebiscite, the government would not only make headway on overcoming the problems but regain the trust of its people under an acceptable system of government and reposition the country with clear direction. If Nigerians don’t continue to demand change – and if leaders don’t pay attention to them – the country will continue to be plagued by discontent, ethnicism, disunity, unpatriotism and nepotism, leading to balkanization of Nigeria. This book – an updated version of Nigeria on the Precipice – highlights topics such as: • how minerals and other natural resources across Nigeria can support federalism; • why leaders continue to seek ethnic gains at the expense of national interest; • why militancy, self-determination have emerged as a sign of discontent.

Ever since the British created Nigeria in 1914 without regard to the cultural differences and incompatibility of the people in the northern and southern protectorates, the nation has been wracked by problems. The Nigerian civil war fought from 1967 to 1970 is just one example of the violence that has crippled the nation. With the Nigerian people issuing a sustained call for change, its clear that they are not satisfied with the current system of government. So far, leaders have not responded to the discontent, but theyd be well served by holding a referendum to decide what kind of government to adopt. This referendum must be conducted if Nigeria has any chance of stepping away from the precipice. With a referendum, the government would not only make headway on overcoming problems but regain the trust of its people. If Nigerians dont continue to demand change - and if leaders dont start paying attention to them - the country will continue to be plagued by the remnants of Great Britains divide-and-conquer strategy.