Demystifying the Niger Delta conflict: Towards an integrated explanation

Abstract

The conflict in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria has lasted for more than a decade, with little or no attempt at an analytical explanation. As a result, the situation has made effective conflict resolution difficult, and perpetuated the confusion of fiction over fact. This paper sets out to correct the shortcomings in existing literature by proffering an integrated explanation of various factors responsible for the conflict. The paper concludes that political and economic factors are the root causes of conflict in the Niger Delta, with environmental and social factors as the proximate and trigger causes, respectively. Given the nature of the relationship among the myriad factors responsible for the conflict, what is required is a comprehensive approach to conflict resolution that pursues development in the Niger Delta on the basis and principles of social, economic and environmental sustainability.