Towards a Paradigm Shift in Conflict Management in South East Nigeria: The Case for Peace Commissions

Violent conflict has spread to all corners of Nigeria, including former enclaves of relative safety and peace. The conflicts range from terrorism to agrarian violence. The standard management approach is the reactive conflict resolution method, which waits for a conflict to start before steps are taken to stop it, usually with the deployment of security forces. Unfortunately, this method is overstretching the limited capacity of the state. Thus, there is a need for a mechanism of peacebuilding that weaves diverse communities together, supports cooperative existence, prevents conflicts, re-awakes social cohesion and aids post-conflict recovery. The prevailing approach to conflict management in South East Nigeria has yet to focus on peacebuilding beyond stopping direct conflicts.

Hence, this week’s edition of the Nextier SPD Policy Weekly makes a case for a shift towards the peace commission model, which will give thrust to peacebuilding in addition to conflict resolution.

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