A presentation about the conflict between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. Looks at the role of ethnicity, the legacy of colonialism, as well as the effects of deprivation and migration patterns.

1. What are the causes of inter-
religious conflict in Nigeria?
By Kate Arthur, Harry Davidson, and Owen Bell

2. Overview of Nigeria’s religious makeup

4. Introductory Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5CDNfNW3p0

5. Jos Overview
● Jos used to be a friendly tourist based
city. It is a multicultural city, with around
58 ethnic groups represented in the state
a a whole, the city included
● The Hausa, a Muslim ethnic group, claim
the right to political dominance on the
basis of their historical ties to the city
● Conflict between ethnic groups has been
exacerbated by poor private sector
economic performance, leaving
government as the only means by which
people can enter the middle class. But
since the public sector is Hausa-
dominated, other ethnic groups feel
alienated.

6. September 2001
“A woman raises her hands
in despair on September 9,
2001, as others try to revive
a woman shot by a security
agent in Jos, Nigeria.”

7. September 7 2001
- Conflict breaks out in Jos, capital city of Plateau State
- Left 3,000 dead - although Government figures say only 150 killed
- Many injured, mosques and churches burnt down
“The real divide is between indigenous people who claim it’s their land, and those they call settlers,”
Nelson Ananze of the NGO Community Action for Popular Participation (CAPP).

8. Kano Overview
- Kano has historically been a Muslim-majority city,
dominated by the Hausa and Fulani.
- But during the colonial period, many Southern Nigerians
migrated to Kano, bringing with them imported goods
from Europe.
- The British, seeing Islam as a threat to inter-religious
harmony, segregated the city into three districts.
- The old-walled city, Birni, occupied by the pre-colonial
Hausa/Fulani Kanawa, was exclusively reserved for
them.
- The 20th Christian arrivals were settled in Sabon Gari,
the settlement which was specially established for them
around 1911.
- The third district was reserved for the British
administrators, and is still the richest part of the city.

9. Muslim-Christian Violence, 1991
- ‘It was a clear demonstration of the unity among many Muslims
to achieve a desired objective and to show Christians in no
uncertain terms that the ancient city of Kano was Islamic’ -
(Falola, 2009)
- Sparked by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) invitation to
Reinhard Bonnke to preach in Kano.
- Irritation lay in the publicity: posters were labelled ‘Jesus for
all by 2000’ and ‘The Christian Crusade’ - (Mukhtar, 1992)
- Particularly because the government had denied permission
for an Islamic South African preacher to speak in Kano.
- Prevalent belief that Christians had ‘polluted the city by raising
the name of Jesus over that of the Prophet Muhammad’.
- Riots began on 13th October, with an estimated 500 killed.

10. Causes?
- Undisputed immediate cause of riots was Reinhard Bonnke’s
antagonistically publicised appearance.
- Newspaper ‘The Citizen’ - October 1991
- “This was not a religious riot at all. Its genesis was
purely economic. Even while the Emir was speaking,
looting had begun. Religion does not sanction looting.”
- Underlying causes:
- Unemployment/Poverty
- Scars of segregation
- Breakdown of social institutions
- Entrenched use of force to settle conflicts
- ‘Force in settling conflicts has become a tradition
in Nigerian body politics’ - (Falola, 2009)

11. Conclusion
● We found that religious doctrine has very little to do with inter-religious
violence.
● External factors- levels of education, deprivation and migration (indigenous
people vs newcomers) - were much more significant.
● The British colonial solutions to conflict may have benefited the colonial
state, but have only exacerbated violence in the long term.
● Inter-religious conflict as a failure of modernity is not a uniquely Nigerian, or
indeed African phenomenon.

12. Bibliography
● Adebanwi, Wale, ‘Identity Transformation and Identity Politics Under Adjustment in Nigeria’, The
Journal of Modern African Studies (Vol. 39 No. 3, 2001)
● Albert, Isaac Olawale. “Violence in metropolitan Kano: A Historical Perspective”. Osaghae, Eghosa E,
et al.. Urban Violence in Africa: Pilot Studies (South Africa, Côte-d’Ivoire, Nigeria). pp. 111-136
● Bienen, Henry. “Religion, Legitimacy, and Conflict in Nigeria.” The Annals of the American Academy
of Political and Social Science, vol. 483, 1986, pp. 50–60.
● Habila Dadem Danfulani, Umar, and Fwatshak, Sati U., ‘Briefing: The September 2001 Events in Jos,
Nigeria’, African Affairs, Vol. 101, No. 403 (Apr., 2002), pp. 243-255.
● Falola, Toyin, ‘Colonialism and Violence in Nigeria’, (Bloomington, 2009)
● Orji, Nkwachukwu. "Faith-based aid to people affected by conflict in Jos, Nigeria: An analysis of the
role of Christian and Muslim organizations." Journal of Refugee Studies 24.3 (2011): 473-492.
● Salawu, B., ‘Ethno-Religious Conflicts in Nigeria: Causal Analysis and Proposals for New
Management Strategies’, European Journal of Social Sciences (Vol. 13 No. 3, 2010), pp. 345-353