Ethno-Religious Conflicts and Their Implications for Social Cohesion, Economic Development, and Intergroup Relations in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Kuchaks; Dorcas Peter; Dennis Chinedu Egbogah; PhD

doi:10.56201/ijee.v12.no.1.2026.pg108.115

📄 Download Paper

Ethno-Religious Conflicts and Their Implications for Social Cohesion, Economic Development, and Intergroup Relations in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Kuchaks, Dorcas Peter, Dennis Chinedu Egbogah, PhD

Abstract

This study examined ethno-religious conflicts and their effects on social cohesion, economic development, and intergroup relations in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The investigation was guided by a clearly articulated research question and hypothesis focusing on the implications of ethno- religious conflicts for social cohesion, economic development, and intergroup relations within the study area. A descriptive survey research design was utilized, with purposive sampling employed to select 387 respondents. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.76, and analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while a one-sample t-test was used to test the formulated hypothesis. The findings indicated that ethno-religious conflicts have significantly undermined social cohesion and economic stability in Kaduna State by promoting mistrust, segregation, and economic disruption, with broader implications for intergroup relations across Nigeria. The study therefore concludes that ethno-religious conflicts constitute a major challenge to social cohesion in the state, as recurring violence and tension have weakened trust, intensified segregation, and eroded the social bonds necessary for peaceful coexistence among diverse communities. Based on these outcomes, the study recommends that government authorities and community leaders intensify inclusive peacebuilding efforts that encourage interfaith dialogue, trust-building, and sustained engagement among ethnic and religious groups in Kaduna State. In addition, targeted economic recovery initiatives should be implemented to restore livelihoods, stimulate private investment, and reduce unemployment as strategies for addressing conflict-related grievances in Nigeria. Key Words: Ethno-Religious, Conflicts, Social Cohesion, Economic Development, Intergroup Relations

Keywords

Ethno-ReligiousConflictsSocial CohesionEconomic DevelopmentIntergroup Relations

References

Adamu, A. Y. (2020). Ethno-religious conflicts and community resilience in Northern Nigeria. Journal of Peace and Development Studies, 14(2), 45–62. Addison, T. (2021). Economic impacts of violent conflict in developing countries. World Development, 138, 105–118. Adebayo, A. G. (2018). Identity politics and conflict in Africa. African Journal of Political Science, 12(1), 23–41. Alesina, A. (2019). Diversity, conflict, and economic performance. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 33(4), 61–78. Collier, P. (2019). The economic consequences of civil conflict. Oxford Economic Papers, 71(2), 345–367. Creswell, J. W. (2020). Research design and statistical interpretation in social sciences. Qualitative Research Journal, 20(2), 123–136. Galtung, J. (2017). Violence, peace, and social structures. Journal of Peace Research, 54(4), 456– 469. Gurr, T. R. (2018). Why minorities rebel revisited. Ethnopolitics, 17(1), 1–20. Horowitz, D. L. (2017). Ethnic groups in conflict. Journal of Democracy, 28(3), 153–166. Kymlicka, W. (2018). Multiculturalism and social cohesion in divided societies. Ethnicities, 18(2), 162–181. Lederach, J. P. (2020). Peacebuilding and reconciliation in divided societies. Peacebuilding, 8(4), 381–396. Ojo, E. O. (2021). Religion, violence and national integration in Nigeria. African Security Review, 30(2), 157–172. Osaghae, E. E. (2020). Managing diversity in African states. Journal of Modern African Studies, 58(3), 361–380. Putnam, R. D. (2020). Social capital and civic decline. Political Studies Review, 18(1), 3–18. Stewart, F. (2019). Horizontal inequalities and violent conflict. Conflict, Security and Development, 19(1), 1–20. Suberu, R. T. (2019). Federalism and ethnic conflict in Nigeria. Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 49(2), 205–227. Yakubu, M. T. (2022). Community fragmentation and post-conflict recovery in Nigeria. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 40(4), 489–505.

Ethno-Religious Conflicts and Their Implications for Social Cohesion, Economic Development, and Intergroup Relations in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

References

More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND EVALUATION