Ethno-religious Conflicts and the Challenges of National Security in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic

ABSTRACT The threats of ethnic, religious, and ethno-religious conflicts have endured in Nigeria and become increasingly alarming in the fourth republic, which started in 1999. Ethno-religious conflicts are hostile engagements where actors and their motivations reflect a combination of ethnic and religious interests. These conflicts are deeply rooted in colonial legacies, ethno-religious-based distributions of power and resources, and failure of the post-colonial state to advance unity in diversity and promote the welfare and security of all citizens without discrimination. Between 1999 and 2021, Nigeria recorded no fewer than 2811 incidences of ethnic conflict with 18,132 fatalities, 3703 incidences of religious conflict with 29,957 fatalities, and 117 incidences of ethno-religious conflict with 2420 fatalities. These conflicts have had negative consequences for the lives and properties of the affected population, political stability, national unity, integration, development, security, and the image of the country internationally. This article examines the threats of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria’s fourth republic, their causes, manifestations, consequences, and possible ways forward.