Government Agencies and Traditional Institutions in the Management of Peace and Conflict Resolution in Nigeria

Abstract

Conflict is inevitable in human society and the government agencies charged with the
responsibility of restoring peace and conflict resolution have not really given the desired result.
Thus this paper argues why government agencies’ partnership with the traditional institutions is a
desideratum for peace and conflict resolution in Nigeria. This study adopts the Balance of Power
Theory as popularized by the American realist, Kenneth Neal Waltz in 1979 which prefers
mutual collaboration and co-operating states for efficiency in the course of peace and conflict
resolution. Also, this research adopts APA manual of style in research documentation and
combines both primary and secondary sources of data collection. Using the analytic method of
research, the paper critically examines and compares the government agencies and traditional
institutions in matters of peace and conflict resolution to discover that there is urgent need for
partnership to achieve the desired goal. Towards addressing the stated aim, the paper studies the
meaning of conflict as a social situation in which a minimum of two actors or parties strive to
acquire at the same time an available set of scarce resources. Also, the paper studies the role of
the government and her agencies in matters of conflict management side by side with the
traditional institutions. The findings of the study show that government officials/stakeholders
take advantage of crisis situations to promote their political interest either by instigating or
fueling already existing crisis. Also, that the government agencies such as the police and army
end up with abuse of fundamental human rights, brutality, arbitrary killings, sexual violence,
while the judiciary hang up matters for years without judgment. On the other hand, the
traditional institutions are made up of elders, chiefs, priests, priestesses, secret cult etc in whom
the local communities repose great trust and confidence for peace and conflict resolution. This
paper concludes that minding the deplorable compromise of most government institutions in
matters of peace and conflict resolution, there is urgent need for partnership with traditional
institutions as a desideratum towards achieving the desired peace and co-existence in Nigeria