PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES AND THE MANAGEMENT OF SELECTED CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA

The problem given rise to this study is that, conflicts are a problem to the contemporary Nigerian society because some of these conflict have not been well managed, but public relations offers a good opportunity to effective conflict management. This study investigates the adoption and effectiveness of public relations strategies in the management of three conflict types in Nigeria. The conflicts are the 2001 Tiv-Jukun ethnic conflict, the 2004 Yelwa-Shendam religious conflict and the 2007 Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)- Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) conflict. The survey research method is used with three sets of questionnaire (one for each conflict type) and six Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) as instruments of data collections. A sample of 1,138, made up of 384, 384 and 370 for 2001 Tiv-Jukun, 2004 Yelwa-Shendam, and 2007 FGN-ASUU conflicts respectively, was used for the questionnaire aspect of the study. This sample size came about by the use of Krejcie and Margan table of sample size determination, and was drawn through purposive and multi-stage sampling techniques. Ten people took part in each of the six FGDs. Findings reveal, that a number of public relations strategies were adopted and utilized in the management of the conflicts, some appropriate, conformed to acceptable public relations standard and effective in managing the conflicts, but others not. The former strategies included those that used warm and rational approaches like dialogue, persuasion, compromise, consultation, collective bargaining, and consensus building while the later included use of force, sanctions, confrontation, propaganda, and falsehood. The findings also reveal significant differences among the three conflict types studied in the public relations strategies adopted and utilized. Strategies adopted and utilized in the labour conflict management produced better result than those adopted for the ethnic and religious conflicts. It is recommended among other things that public relations strategies aimed at effective communal and industrial conflict management should be proactive, emphasize effective communication and advocate for the resolution of the problems of citizenship and national integration in Nigeria. It is suggested for further study among other things that the issue of socio-economic status of parties and stakeholders in a conflict, as a factor affecting the use of public relations in conflict management, should be investigated more deeply and elaborately. It is hoped this study will contribute to knowledge.SEL