Evaluating Protracted Social Conflict in the Niger Delta of Nigeria: An Analysis of the Challenges of the Post-Amnesty Peace-building Process

The purpose of this study was to add to the body of research on the Niger Delta of Nigeria by investigating the perceptions of the people of the area about the amnesty programme and its ability to secure a lasting peace for the oil-rich region of Nigeria. The study set out to find an answer to the research question: Could the amnesty programme be rationally taken as adequate in bringing lasting peace to the troubled oil-rich region of the Niger Delta of Nigeria? The study tested four hypotheses that sought to consider some of the challenges that could beset the post-amnesty peace-building process in the Niger Delta region. Several studies (Obi and Rustad, 2011; Ukoh and Ukpong, 2013; Oluwaniyi, 2011) have in the recent past averred that the amnesty programme will not significantly bring sustainable peace to the Niger Delta region for the following reasons: the continued prevalence of small arms and light weapons in the region; the non-adoption of a bottom-up approach to the amnesty programme; and the failure of the amnesty package to meet the expectations of the ex-militants. The accompanied discussion highlights the supporting evidence obtained for these hypotheses and factors that could be used to improve the post-amnesty peace-building process were suggested.