Relational and Hybrid Peacebuilding: Traditional Institutions and the Transformation of Ethno-Religious Conflicts in Jos, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines how traditional institutions can be leveraged to resolve conflicts in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. A place characterized by ethno-religious tensions and communal conflicts. Since time immemorial, local chiefs, elders, and other community leaders have been the custodians of peace, utilizing traditional values and practices to resolve conflicts. The paper draws from
Relational Conflict Theory and Hybrid Peacebuilding Theory to analyze the social processes and interpersonal relations that perpetuate these conventional processes. The data were collected through a mixed-methods approach, involving the collection of data from traditional rulers, chiefs, and community members in the selected communities. The results indicate that, prior to the emergence of formal institutions, disputes were usually resolved through mediation by elders, intervention by clans or families, spiritual ceremonies, and adjudication by royalty. Nevertheless, conventional systems have become increasingly limited
by political interference, a lack of enforcement authority, deteriorating public confidence, and duplication with the state judicial system. This paper proposes that the government should be more conscious and policy-enabling to make traditional institutions more legitimate and efficient. It also requires legal systems that can strengthen their mediation and arbitration systems, whereby the traditional leaders must put in place early warning mechanisms to identify and resolve arising conflicts before they grow out of proportion.