Abstract

Multi ethnic nations are bedeviled with protracted violent conflicts particularly among indigenes and settlers whether at intra or inter group levels. Many of these are found in Nigeria like in Jos, Bauchi, Kaduna, Zango-Kataf, Offa/Erinle Tiv/Jukun and Saare/Tsaragi among others. Efforts by governments in Nigeria in resolving these violent conflicts included but not limited to the creation of new local governments, balancing developmental projects as well as public enlightenment campaign through communities and religious organizations without desirable result. The unending violent indigene/settler conflicts informed this paper to examine the factors responsible and why government resolution efforts were not so successful. The paper was descriptive while data were collected from secondary sources. The study found that access to resources such land for farming or grazing as well as developmental purposes; discovery of mineral resources, access to political offices, allocation of socio-economic infrastructure, creation of States and local governments occasioned many of these conflicts. Such conflicts became pronounced when they coincided with religious and ethnic boundaries. Efforts by governments in resolving such conflicts didn’t achieve desirable results because of lack of political will by governments in taking decisive measures on issues of conflict, failure to implement relevant reports, and governments’ adoption of security rather than peace approach in managing conflicts. Hence, they pacified conflicting parties rather than resolving conflicts, with parties waiting for slightest provocation for resurgence of violence. The study recommended that governments should be fair and just in managing conflicts, implement previous relevant reports, embrace inclusive arrangement, citizenship based on residence rather than Indigeneship and citizenry public enlightenment for tolerance.