Community-Based Conflict Resolution Councils and Traditional Oath-Taking as Instruments of Sustainable Livelihood Recovery in Conflict-Affected Communities in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined community-based conflict resolution councils and traditional oath-taking as institutional and covenantal instruments of sustainable livelihood recovery in conflict-affected communities in Rivers State, Nigeria. Two research objectives, two research questions, and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 10,400 community leaders and conflict management experts across the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State, made up of 10,200 community leaders and 200 conflict management experts. Using the Taro Yamane formula and a multistage sampling procedure involving cluster, purposive, and proportionate stratified sampling techniques, a sample of 498 respondents, comprising 384 community leaders and 140 conflict management experts, was drawn from nine conflict-prone Local Government Areas spread across the three senatorial districts of the state. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled "Indigenous Conflict Resolution Mechanisms in Promoting Sustainable Livelihood in Conflict Affected Communities Questionnaire". The instrument was validated by three other experts and its reliability was established through the Cronbach Alpha method, yielding coefficients of 0.79 and 0.77 for the two clusters of the instrument relevant to this study. Mean and standard deviation statistics were used to answer the research questions, while the two null hypotheses were tested using z-test statistics at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that community-based conflict resolution councils and traditional oaths and sworn alliances both promote sustainable livelihood in conflict-affected communities in Rivers State to a high extent. Based on the findings, the study recommended, among others, that local government councils across Rivers State provide institutional and financial support for the establishment and strengthening of community-based conflict resolution councils, and that traditional rulers' councils and community governance bodies revitalise and formalise traditional oath-taking practices as legitimate instruments of conflict resolution and community governance accountability.