Ethno- Religious Conflicts and Local Development in Nigeria: A Case Study of Kaduna State.

ABSTRACT This study was conducted between the months of August-December 2017 to examine the different forms of ethno-religious conflicts and local development in Nigeria and also create awareness on the effects of ethno-religious conflicts and what should be done about it to avoid it. Ethno—religious and other forms of sectarian struggles and conflicts are on the rise recently in Nigeria. The return of democracy with accompanying respect for fundamental human rights seemed to have unleashed all the tensions that have accumulated over the ye~rs. Of recent, deepest attachments have tended to shifi more in favour of ethnic—based tendencies as ethnicity and religiocentrism occupies more space in the social and political landscape of the Nigerian society. This trend has been intensified and made more complicated by unpopular policies and bad governance in the past and even at this present time. As the researcher I believe that sincere governmental schemes and efforts must be established by the government to achieve social and distributive justice for all people in the country. Merits, qualification and competence in or for a particular position must be respected. For where there is justice there will be peace and where is peace, there will be no ethno-religious conflicts. In fact, the control of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria will be among other social vices like corruption, litany of politically motivated killings, prostitution, examination malpractice, kidnapping, terrorism, rigging of elections etc. will go far in moving the country forward. A complete and total implementation of the above recommendations would go a long way in the control of the incessant ethno-religious conflicts in Kaduna s1ate and in most of the northern states of the country.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION

APPROVAL

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEGDMENTS iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF TABLES

ABSTRACT ix

CHAPTER ONE 1

INTRODUCTION 1

1.0 Background of the study 1

1.1 Definition of Terms 3

1.2 Statement of the problem 4

1.3 Purpose of the study 5

1.4 Research Objectives 6

1.5 Research Questions 6

1.6 Significance of the study 6

1.7 Scope of the Study 7

CHAPTER TWO 8

LITERATURE REVIEW 8

2.0 Brief Analysis of Religious Conflicts 8

2.1 KADUNA STATE 8

2.1.1 Religious Conflicts in Kaduna State 8

2.1.2 Ethnic conflicts in KadUna State 12

2.1.3 Political conflicts in Kaduna State 13

2.1.4 Land dispute conflicts in Kaduna State 14

2.2 Causes of Ethno — Religious Conflicts in Kaduna State 14

2.2.1 Religious Causes 14

V

2.2.2 Poverty/Unemployment .16

2.2,3 Poor Security Network 18

2.2.4 Political causes 18

2.2.5 Ethnic Migration/indigene-settler causes 20

2.2.6 Constitutional violation 21

2.2.7 Electoral Malpractice and Political Intolerance 22

2.2.8 Economic Causes 23

2.2.9 Poor standard of education 24

2.3 Effects of Ethno-Religious Conflicts on Development in Kaduna State 24

2.3.1 Social Effect 25

2.3.2 Economic Effect 25

2.3.3 Political Effect 26

CHAPTER THREE 28

METHODOLOGY 28

3.0 Introduction 28

3.1 Research Design 28

3.2 Study Population 28

3.3 The Study Sample Size 28

3.4 Sample Selection Techniques 29

3.5 Data Collection Methods 29

3.6 Data Collection Instruments 29

3.7 Validity and Reliability 29

3.8 Data Analysis 30

CHAPTER FOUR 31

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 31

4.0. Introduction 31

4.1 Demography of the respondents 31

4.2. Descriptive Analysis of the objectives of the Study 33

vi

CHAPTER FIVE .41

DISCUSSION, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION 41

5.1 Principal findings 41

5.2 Contribution to Knowledge 42

5.3 Recommendations 42

5.4 Suggestion for Further Research 49

5.5 Discussion 50

5.6 Recommendation 52

5.7 Conclusion 53

REFERENCES 54

APPENDIXES 59

APPENDIX I: INTRODUCTION LETTER 59

APPENDIX II: QUESTIONNAIRE A 61

APPENDIX III: QUESTIONNAIRE B 64