Causes of Conflicts in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria as Expressed by the Youth in Delta State

Abstract

Nigeria is a multiethnic society consisting of different ethic nationalities. During the years of military dictatorship conflict of all forms is it communal or ethnic conflicts were minimal because they were suppressed by military might. However, in the current democratic dispensation every citizen tends to have more room and opportunity to self expression, manifesting in form of conflict among clans, the Niger Delta youth harassing and abduct expatriate workers and even citizens in the Niger Delta region. These violent conflicts are largely responsible for the backwardness of the country, poverty, unemployment etc. Therefore the focus of this study was to determine the cause of conflicts in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria as expressed by the youth in Delta State. The research instrument was a self designed questionnaire named “causes of conflict questionnaire”. This was used to gather data from four hundred respondents randomly selected from four (4) Local Government Areas of Delta State. Six research questions and five null hypotheses were generated to guide the study. Frequency count, percentages, t test and ANOVA statistics were used in analyzing the data. The result revealed that deprivation of the indigenes of the dividends of oil proceeds which is under economic factor accounted for the greatest cause of conflict and closely following it was political factor. The result also revealed that religion and ethnicity have a great influence on the conflicts. Based on the findings, it was recommended that counsellors should be used as resource persons and team members in any dispute or conflict resolution (negotiation and arbitration exercise) in various Local Government Areas, States, and Federal House of Assemblies. Also counselling centres should be established at strategic places, so that youths would have opportunities to express their grievances at the states and federal ministries of youths and within Local Government Areas to offer counselling service to the youths.