THE CHURCH AS A HISTORICAL AGENT OF PEACEBUILDING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper is on the church as a historical agent of peace-building and conflict resolution in Nigeria. The Nigerian nation, being a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation, is often ridden with various conflicts, divisions and violence, in which one religious group is pitted against the other and one ethnic group against another. The church by her nature, is a veritable instrument for peace-building and conflict resolution, which it has pursued world-wide and has also been evident from the time of her entry into Nigeria. Considering the ongoing crisis, disagreements and conflicts in Nigeria, both in the political, socio-economic, security and religious spheres, the church has to step up her peace-building and conflict resolution roles by re-strategizing and re-awaking herself to the task at hand and ahead. This paper is therefore a wake-up and stand-firm call on the church in Nigeria and her leaders, to maintain the path of peace-building and conflict resolution in order to ensure the attainment of the much-needed sustainable development of the nation. It is already obvious that peace is always a sine qua non for development of any nation or region – without peace there will be no development. The church thus has to play both mediatory and reconciliatory roles while also being ready to engage in negotiations, arbitration and diplomatic roles to ensure and achieve the much-needed peace in the land. Historical and phenomenological methodologies were utilized in this investigation. It was found that the Nigerian nation, though in dire need of sustainable development, is often ridden and plagued with conflicts, divisions and insecurity, which have been long-running problems even from the period of the country’s independence. In the midst of these problems and conflicts, the nation is faced with the task of searching for solutions to its multiple problems, as well as seeking for possible partners who will serve as agents of peace-building and conflict resolution. One of such partners is the church. The Church should therefore maintain and even increase her momentum of the task of peace-building and conflict resolution in the face of increasing threats to life and property and multiple security challenges in the land, the paper recommends.