Natural Resource Conflicts and Peace Building in Africa: Towards Resolving Herdsmen-Farmers Conflicts in Nigeria’s North-Central Geo-Political Zone.

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between globalization, resource conflicts and peace - building in Africa, with particular emphasis on Nigerian’s north-central geo-political zone. The wave of globalization that has swept across the world with its attendant socio-economic and political consequences lies at the heart of this study. The debate that is raging currently amongst intelligentsias, public analysts, and the international community points to the fact that the global system has suffered increasing setbacks occasioned by the impacts of globalization and contestation for scarce natural resource endowments. The changes that have emerged for several decades in both developed and developing nations, with the latter having a greater share of repercussions, have remained largely daunting. The multiplier effects of these changes have resulted to worsening crises situations, with fast growing rate of intra-state and/or trans-regionalized networked conflicts, which is why Africa and indeed Nigeria, has become hotbed for contestations recently. This work adopts qualitative approach as method of investigation. This work relies on classic works of experts in the broader discipline of globalization and conflict resolutions, the essence of which is to clearly define ways of ensuring absolute peace in Nigeria’s north central zone. The paper observes that guaranteeing peace- building requires the adoption of both vertical and horizontal approaches as templates for the realization of peace objectives.