Environmental Conflict, Traditional Institutions, and Durable Peace in Niger Delta

abstract:This article seeks to explain how resilient traditional institutions act as the fulcrum of the relative peace that exists in some oil-producing communities in Ondo state of the Western Niger Delta, in contrast to the violent situation in Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers states of the Eastern Niger Delta, where ex-militia commanders and political elites jostle for power and eclipse traditional authorities. While traditional institutions in some oil communities of the Eastern Niger Delta are on the verge of social disintegration, traditional social control mechanisms in some parts of the Western Niger Delta have been more resilient, partly explaining the relative peace in the oil communities in Ondo state, notably Ilaje. The article explores such elements of community resilience and how indigenous traditional institutions can play a critical role in building durable peace in the Niger Delta region.