[POSITION PAPER] THEATRES OF WAR: VIOLENCE AND CONFLICT IN THE FOURTH REPUBLIC

Two decades ago, Nigeria transitioned from military rule to civilian government; a change that promised broader representation through elections, civic voice, and adaptable federalism. However, from the inception of this system (which should engender broader inclusion), Nigeria has been besieged by an escalating trend of inter-group and anti-state violence. These trajectories of violence raise a central dilemma: Why have polarisation and conflict grown with democracy? Why have mechanisms of broad-based political incorporation so conspicuously failed?

This edition of Nextier’s “Development Discourse” explored the role of exclusionary politics in the rise in collective violence in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.