The dynamics of resource conflict: Lessons from Nigeria and Malaysia
Since the emergence of environmental resource conflict on the international political discourse in the early 1980s, there has been growing concern that, resource conflicts in developing countries is likely to exacerbate conflicts originating in strenuous struggles over scarce resources due to population increase. The apparent manifestation of conflicts in the oil rich Niger Delta region in Southern Nigeria and Farmer-herder conflicts in Northern Nigeria to the lingering forest logging controversy in Malaysia is an upsurge of the coming resource “crisis” in these countries. The focus of this paper is to discuss issues on management of resource conflicts in developing countries like Nigeria and Malaysia. The paper suggests that, there is the need for commitment from the states and all stakeholders through institutionalization of proactive conflict resolution and peace building strategies, instead of resolution through the grave yards. Discussions are based on secondary data with examples from recent experiences from farmer-herder conflict, and Niger Delta crisis in Nigeria, and forest logging in Malaysia.