Conflit in Nigeria

Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford

A History of Identities, Violence, and Stability in Nigeria

Eghosa E. Osaghae and Rotimi T. Suberu

CRISE WORKING PAPER No. 6

January 2005

Dr. Rotimi Suberu: Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria rtsuberu@skannet.com

Professor Eghosa E. Osaghae: Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Nigeria pefs@skannet.com

Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity, CRISE

Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford, 21 St Giles, OX1 3LA, UK

Tel: +44 1865 283078; Fax: +44 1865 273607; http://www.crise.ox.ac.uk/

CRISE Working Paper No. 6

Table of Contents

1. Introduction...............................................................................................................4

2. The Nature and Scope of Nigeria’s Identity Diversity................................................5

2.1 Ethnicity.............................................................................................................8

2.2 Religion...........................................................................................................10

2.3 Regionalism.....................................................................................................12

2.4 Class, Gender, and Youth...............................................................................13

3. Enduring Patterns of Pre-Colonial and Colonial Conflicts.......................................14

4. Patterns of Post-Colonial Identity Conflicts.............................................................17

4.1 Ethno-Religious Clashes.................................................................................19

4.2 Inter-Ethnic Violence.......................................................................................19

4.3 Intra-Ethnic and/or Intra-Religious Conflicts....................................................19

4.4 Inter-Group Economic...