The Roles of the Church in Addressing the Conflicts Generated by Massive Influx of Fulani People into South-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria is home to over 380 ethnic groups, with over 500 languages, producing great cultural diversity and plurality. The largest ethnic groups include Hausa consisting 23%, Fulani constituting 6% of the population, Yoruba 21% and Igbo 19%. Every Nigerian is legitimated constitutionally to live and engage in lawful business and relationship anywhere in the country; however, recent expansionist tendencies of Fulani to virtually every city in Southern-Nigeria, has become inimical to territorial policies, security, religious, social and economic development. Fulani sporadic migration has generated violent clashes, causing death, property loss, disregard for civility, desecration of religious institutions and cultural values. Farmlands have been forcefully taken over; and schools turned grazing fields and residences. Ethnic and religious cleavages and inter-ethnic fears and tensions currently pervade Nigeria. Such fear of ethnic politicization bedeviled Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi to mention but a few. This paper is premised on Lewis Coser’s Social Conflict theory, which is defined as a struggle over values or claims to status, power, and scarce resources, in which the aims of conflicting parties are not just to gain desired values, but also to neutralize, injure or eliminate their rivals. Theological hermeneutics, historical and qualitative approaches were employed for data collection. The Church’s role in promoting peaceful co-existence has become critically imperative.