Ethnicity and the dilemma of ethno-communal conflicts in North-Central Nigeria : the case of Nasarawa State

This paper considers the contemporary phenomenon of ethno-communal conflict and its dilemmas in north-central Nigeria, with particular reference to Nasarawa State. By way of a synthesis of primary and secondary research, enabled by a combination of field interviews/discussions and library sources, the paper posits that the incidence and prevalence of ethno-communal conflict in north-central Nigeria has been influenced by the socio-ecological dialectics of the region. It observes that existence of multiple primordial cleavages in the area has created an enabling ambience for volatile inter-group relations and identity contestations. Hence, it is submitted that contemporary trajectories of communal conflict in Nasarawa State reflect a fundamental contradiction of identity/ethnic politics; situation that has been complicated by elite politicking and the apparent failure of the government to moderate conflict drivers and fault lines in a manner that leverages mutual and sustainable inter-group coexistence/inter-ethnic relations