Abstract

Communal conflicts and violence have become a plague that has eaten deep into the fabric of Nigerian economy. These conflicts result from different value systems, aggressive competition for environmental resources and ethnic/identity crisis amongst others. In the study area, several communal clashes abound. The major consequence of this bloody communal clashes have been an outright reduction in the livelihood and development potential of the natural resource base of the people. Through empirical survey of 27 communities; 9 drawn from non-conflict and 18 from conflict areas, information on the major causes and patterns of communal conflict and its effect on resource development in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria was obtained. Several conflict variables were measured and correlated with variables of resource development in these communities. The result indicates that resource development in the study area has been adversely retarded by communal conflicts.

Key words: Communal conflicts, value systems, natural resource development.