Leveraging on Local Responses

Nigeria’s near-quagmire with security challenges may not lead to state failure. However, security issues are not going to fade away without committed government’s action in addressing them. Also, another important resource for solving the crisis is the support from citizens. Nevertheless, government has to build strong and fruitful collaborations with the people before meaningful peace and security can be guaranteed. This is also the case in the government’s policies and programmes where it requires the buy-in of the people for the success and sustainability of its objectives. The reasons are quite simple, the state, amongst other things, is predicated on the idea to protect its citizens from harm and destruction. However, when a state fails to provide such protection, citizens lack confidence in its ability to deliver. With such challenges, gaining the collaboration of people for effective securitisation becomes difficult. 

Over the years, security experts continue to seek for civil/military (government) partnerships in addressing Nigeria’s many security woes. For instance, collaboration with locals in the terror-troubled North-east has been advocated for counterterrorism missions. Again, communal clashes in Nigeria have periodically lead to losses to lives and investments, and also the displacement of people. State responses have failed to tackle the menace of communal wars. It is either the government is not doing enough or local partnerships in crisis-prone areas are not solid enough to sustain peacebuilding efforts. However, the rate of communal clashes in the past few weeks have elicited local responses from affected communities. For example, yesterday, community members in Ikwauno Local government Area of Abia state bemoaned the incessant fatal clashes between their community and Nkari community in Akwa-Ibom state. Also, hundreds of youths from communities in Cross River state embarked on a peaceful protest against communal clashes in their communities.

Government need to leverage on the consciousness of the local population. The strong condemnations of the local people against communal wars should stimulate affected state governments into initiating all-inclusive peacebuilding processes. People\’s show of condemnation and plea to government towards communal wars suggests their readiness and commitment in being part of the peacebuilding initiatives. Affected governments must react positively to these widespread outcries. The National Boundary Commission is statutorily mandated to handle disputed internal boundaries in the country. How effective has the commission been in managing boundary disputes? While security agents strive to ensure relative normalcy in conflict-prone areas, the National Boundary Commission should proactively improve collaborations with their zonal liaison offices and state boundary committees in addressing border disputes.

Furthermore, Nigeria’s criminal justice system may be unable to timely address all the grievances. However, court rulings do not guarantee peace. A community may win land or boundary cases but it does not necessarily translate to durable peace. Government should begin to look at the idea of transitional justice whereby both judicial and non-judicial measures are employed. This can be used to ensure transparent criminal prosecutions, promote truth commissions and reparation programmes. Purposefully, the idea of transitional justice will cater for all parties involved in the conflict. It will also give room for local actors and stakeholders to participate in the peacemaking processes. This strategy can be leveraged upon to settle disputes, build peace and engender social trust among warring groups.

Nigeria’s communal wars have been periodical but it appears government has not committed enough resources into research that will investigate and discover the root causes of such incidents in Nigeria. Beyond land, other factors may be triggering disharmony and violence amongst Nigerian communities. It is the role of thorough research to find these causative factors and proffer solutions that will end communal wars in the country. However, Nigeria must show its readiness to find solutions by funding such research.