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USIP in Nigeria

Ameliorating Christian/Muslim Conflict in the Middle Belt of Nigeria

The Issue: In Nigeria, Muslims are generally concentrated in the North and Christians in the South. The Middle Belt, however, is a mixed area and as a result, combustible. In addition to divisions between Christians and Muslims, conflicts in this area derive from ethnic divisions, class and occupational differences, and tensions between those who are indigenous to a particular area and those who have settled there more recently. Tens of thousands of people have been killed over the past decade in this area due to these conflicts.

USIP Action: Working with Imam Mohammed Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye of the Inter Faith Mediation Centre, USIP sponsored and participated in multiple mediation efforts in the Middle Belt. In 2004-2005, USIP worked with Ashafa and Wuye to mediate a peace agreement in Yelwa/Nshar of Plateau State, where more than 1,000 had recently been killed in fighting between Christians and Muslims. In addition, USIP sponsored two films on the peacemaking work of the Inter Faith Mediation Centre. The first, "Imam and Pastor," describes the peacemaking work of Ashafa and Wuye in Yelwa/Nsar. The second, "The African Answer," shows how they transferred their Nigerian peacemaking methodology to help settle severe conflict in the Rift Valley of Kenya. USIP prepared a 75-page discussion guide to assist groups that want to learn from these DVDs in order to enhance their own peacemaking skills.

The Impact: Yelwa/Nshar has remained peaceful since the agreement was finalized. From 2005 to the present, the Inter Faith Mediation Centre, with USIP encouragement and support, has conducted many interfaith dialogue and mediation sessions between Christians and Muslims in other parts of Plateau State and in Bauchi. While the results of these sessions have been less definitive than in Yelwa/Nshar, they have helped reduce the violence. More recently, USIP has helped Ashafa & Wuye to help restore calm & conciliation to the city of Kaduna which experienced serious violence following the 2011 presidential elections

 

Resettlement and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants in the Niger Delta

The Issue: Conflict in the Niger Delta is primarily between the residents of this oil-rich section of Nigeria and the federal government. Local residents live largely in poverty on land often polluted by oil spills, and they believe they suffer from oil production in their villages rather than benefiting from it. Rebel movements -- often mixed with criminal cartels -- sabotage oil facilities, kidnap oil workers and protest against the deprivations of Niger Delta’s residents. In 2009, the Nigerian government offered amnesty to Niger Delta rebels, but acceptance of these ex-combatants by local communities remains an issue.

USIP Action: USIP has conducted several trainings in conflict analysis and conflict management for community groups in the Niger Delta to enhance their peacemaking skills. Much of this has been in partnership with the African Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR). In addition, USIP has given grants for the training of traditional leaders to make them more effective peacemakers. Working with ACCR, USIP assisted with the development of a peace plan for the Niger Delta. This plan differed from other plans in that it focused on what the communities in the Delta could do themselves to promote internal peace. The plan was widely disseminated among officials, opinion makers, and community leaders. Finally, at the request of the Office of the President in Nigeria, USIP commissioned a paper to assess one of the proposals to rectify the inequitable distribution of revenues derived from oil production. The proposal is currently under consideration by Nigeria’s parliament.

The Impact: As a result of USIP’s training and work with ACCR, inter-community conflicts have occurred less often after these trainings. In conjunction with ACCR, the Institute has helped resettle and reintegrate rebels back into their home communities. The proposal currently under consideration by Nigeria’s parliament would allocate ten percent of oil revenues to communities where the oil is produced. The USIP-commissioned paper assessing this proposal, Something or Nothing: Granting Niger Deltans a Stake in Oil to Reduce Conflict has been widely distributed to officials and parliamentarians in Nigeria.