The Resolution of Violent Conflicts in Nigeria : A Public Opinion Perspective

An Afrobarometer survey conducted in August 2001 finds that Nigerians perceive pervasive social conflicts – especially along inter-communal lines – that arise from mixed cultural and economic sources. They give the current, elected Nigerian government relatively high marks for managing such conflicts but, paradoxically, insist that they prefer informal, community-based modes of solving disputes. Even though Nigeria is one of the most fractious societies on the African continent, a clear majority of its citizens insist that the nation remain intact.