Employment Relations & Human Resource Management- Scholarly Publications

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Curtailing Conflicts in the Resource-Endowed Niger Delta Communities of Nigeria
(2009-03) Akinwale, A.A
Violent conflicts remain unabated in the Niger Delta communities of Nigeria, despite the efforts of successive governments and international organizations to broker peace in the area. How have the Niger Delta communities, the Nigerian State, and multinational oil corporations managed the crisis? What are the forces fuelling the crisis and what may be a lasting solution? This article addresses these questions on the basis of an analysis of earlier studies of the conflict and interviews conducted with stakeholders in four oil-producing Niger Delta communities. The findings reveal that opinions about conflict resolution mechanisms differ among the various groups. While government officials and oil companies were optimistic about mechanisms for conflict control, youth activists and religious leaders identified structural barriers to conflict resolution such as failing intervention efforts, increasing hostage taking by militants, and inadequate infrastructure. The article concludes with strong recommendations.