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THE MEANING OF ETHNO- RELIGIOUS CONFLICT

ABSTRACT

Today, Africa is laced with some of the most obstinate conflicts, most of them constructed from differences in religious and ethnic identities. Religious and ethnic nationalism has led to conflicts about control of state power, unequal allocation of resources, citizenship issues, state collapse, economic decline and ethno-religious clashes. Nigeria has been pushed hither and thither by recurrent crises of regional or state illegitimacy, often impairing efforts at economic transformation, democratisation, national cohesion and stability (Osaghae and Suberu 2005:4). Several reasons have been dished out as catalytic to the orgy of ethno-religious conflagrations in Nigeria. Ethno-religious entrepreneurs who fan the embers of violent ethno-religious crises in the past are evidently mobilizing negative ethnicity, religious schism, whip sentiments and pitch one ethno-religious group against another. Also, competitive partisan political activities are used as avenues through which groups are mobilized, identities rigidly reinforced, often infused with excessive religiosity. Furthermore, a large proportion of the youth who are able-bodied but idle, unemployed, frustrated and aggrieved with the social system are willing and ready to be recruited and mobilized to engage in violent ethno-religious conflicts because such offer them the opportunity to break into public and private property and cart away whatever they can find (Imobighe 2003B: 10). In addition, the recurrence of the violent conflicts has been blamed on significant gap in the inability of the security agencies to guarantee security of lives and property as well as bring those responsible for the conflict to book. Expectedly, the trend, dimension and casualties associated with the circle of violent ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria have generated serious concern locally and internationally. The orgy of violent conflicts apart from being condemned by all has generated calls from the local and international arena on the need to address it. The phenomenon of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria has generated sustained academic interest evident in the number of extant literature in relation to the issues. The nature, scale, forms, propellants and consequences of ethno-religious conflicts have been examined. For example, Kukah (1993: 7-10) examined the nexus between religion, politics and power in Northern Nigeria. Onuoha (2005: 12-14) appraised the nature of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria. Odey (2005: 5) examined the implications of religious crises for democratic Process in Nigeria. Saadu (2004: 7) has analyzed the current trends of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria. Fayeye (2006: 13-14) reviewed inter-religious conflicts in Nigeria. This research paper seeks to examine the relationship between religion, ethnicity and conflict in Nigeria, focusing on it’s impact on national development.

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