Edward Azar’s Protracted Social Conflict Theory and Drivers of Self-Determination: the Case of Nigeria

Abstract

Soon after attaining independence on October 1, 1960, the newly created nation-state – Nigeria had to wrestle with post-independent political realities. These combined with the legacies of colonial rule, and the prevalence of ethno-religious politics, led the country into civil war in 1967. Since 1960, Nigeria has experimented with different forms of government and achieved some degree of economic growth but is still plagued by the agitation of self-determination in the form of secessionist campaigns, be it the Biafra or the Oduduwa and Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). To place the discussion in perspective, the paper reviews the existing literature on the subject and also discusses Edward Azar’s protracted social conflict (PSC) theory as the theoretical base. Upon laying the theoretical foundation, the paper situates and evaluates the agitation for self-determination in Nigeria in the light of PSC. Lastly, the paper concludes that instead of seeking self-determination or territorial disintegration, the polity of Nigeria should historically revert to the practice of congenial and connected regionalism.

Protracted Conflicts in Africa: Evidence of the Ramifications of Bawku Conflict in Ghana on Access to Health Facilities and Health Service Utilisation

“…Several studies in Africa's PSC theory include Nigeria, Rwanda, Botswana, South Sudan, and Ghana. Other forms of conflict in other countries include land, chieftaincy, communal, and civil (Utterwulghe, 1999;Maundeni, 2011;Kulang & Ogbonna, 2018;Bakare, 2021;Marfo, Musah, & Mohammed, 2022;Odey & Ugar, 2023). Thus, the relevance of the theory to communal, tribal, and/or chieftaincy conflicts, specifically the Bawku conflict in Ghana, This theory identifies five key elements that contribute to protracted conflicts.…”

Contradictions of Cosmopolitanism: Impacts on Diversity and Inclusion

“…War is a product of unresolved human incompatibilities and is intrinsically embedded in human sociological history. The reasons and consequences of war and conflict are numerous and can take the shape of social protracted conflicts (Bakare, 2021). In 1992, the UN created the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) to "provide political and executive direction to UN peacekeeping operations around the world and maintain contact with the Security Council, troops and financial contributors, and parties to the conflict in the implementation of Security Council mandates" (UNPK, nd).…”