FACTOR ANALYSIS OF CAUSES OF COMMUNAL CONFLICTS IN BENUE AND NASARAWA STATES, NORTH-CENTRAL, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated some factors associated with communal conflicts from the perspectives of farmers from Benue and Nasarawa States, North-Central Nigeria. The specific objectives were: to determine the estimated social and economic losses suffered by farmers from communal conflicts, and to; identify the underlying causes of communal conflicts in the study area. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to obtain a sample size of 391 farmers. Information was elicited using questionnaire and interview schedule and analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The result revealed that farmers experienced social and economic losses in monetary terms in the areas of crop, livestock and other social assets. Factor analysis showed that the underlying causes of communal conflicts in the study area were: ethnic factors (Eigen-value of 4.24), cultural factors (Eigen-value of 2.880), Infrastructural factors (Eigen-value of 2.038), population pressure factors (Eigen-value of 1.829), social factors (Eigen-value of 1.502), Institutional factors (Eigen-value of 1.481). The study recommended among others that government should make the right political decisions and policies that will ensure proper management of land resources in the event of population explosion and increasing competition for land resources to ensure that communal conflicts does not erupt in the process.