Communal clash and conflict management in Nigeria: An investigation of Erin Ile and Offa Crisis, 2006-2018

ABSTRACT

The Erin Ile and Offa boundary crisis has caused over fifty years of recurring waves of violent clashes that have resulted in many human and material casualties. The conflict has had dramatic consequences on the social fiber holding the two communities together, despite their proximity and historical relations. The unhealthy environment maintained by the conflict has further negated economic development in both communities with the destruction of economic facilities without adequate rehabilitation. While several Governments of Kwara State have made efforts to find lasting resolution to the conflict by securing and/or keeping the peace of the area, such efforts have not yielded desirable results, as the different interests in the conflict remain mutually exclusive. This situation is made more complicated by alternating government interventions and court rulings over the matter between 1972 and 2018. This paper investigates the conflict management situation, assessing its effects on socio-political developments and economic growth.

KEYWORDS:

• Boundary dispute
• communal conflict
• conflict management
• conflict resolution

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emmanuel Oluwaseun Ojelabi

Emmanuel Oluwaseun Ojelabi is a Master of Arts graduate in History and Strategic Studies, University of Lagos with specialization in Conflict Studies, Strategic Studies, IR Theory and History. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Ilorin. An aspiring PhD Candidate and a serial writer with many articles to his credit. He is the corresponding author for this paper.

Olusegun Emmanuel Akinwale

Olusegun Emmanuel Akinwale is currently a PhD Research Scholar in Organizational Behavior from the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences University of Lagos. He is the corresponding author for this paper. He has peer-reviewed research papers for journals like Serbian Journal of Management, Scientific Annals of Economics and Business, Journal of Health Organization and Management (Emerald Publishing Company), International Journal of Workplace Health Management (Emerald Publishing Company), and Rajagiri Management Journal (Emerald Publishing Company) to mention but a few. His research interest areas include but are not limited to Industrial and Organizational psychology, Research methods, General Management and Strategy, Organizational Behavior, Managerial Psychology, Human Resources Management, Social Psychology, Gender Psychology and Gender Inequality. Olusegun Emmanuel Akinwale can be contacted at: [email protected], or [email protected]

Jonah Uyieh

Jonah Uyieh is a Doctoral Candidate of the Department of History and Strategic Studies, University of Lagos with specialization in Comparative Development Studies. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Ibadan as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Strategic Studies from the University of Lagos. He is a fellow of the Lagos Studies Association, amongst other visible academic achievements.