Abstract

Ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria directly relate to deficiencies in government leadership. The goal of this article is to examine the sources of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria and explore effective strategies that can support conflict resolution, peacebuilding, peaceful co-existence, and development in the country. The analysis in this article was guided by the following questions: What are the sources of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria? What strategies can support effective and sustainable conflict resolution in the country? To answer these questions, a systematic search of the literature was conducted using publicly accessible databases. The search revealed that the root causes of ethno-religious conflicts can be traced to the colonial policies of indirect rule and amalgamation, which laid the foundation of distrust and competition that persist to this day. The search also found that resolving conflicts in Nigeria would require reforms to the constitution, the security network, the judiciary, and the socio-political and economic systems in the country.