The Role of Religion in Conflict Resolution: A Special Focus on the Biafran Agitation in Nigeria

Abstract

Religion plays an ambivalent yet powerful role in conflict dynamics, functioning both as a source of division and as a resource for peacebuilding. While existing scholarship has examined the political and ethnic dimensions of the Biafran agitation in Nigeria, limited attention has been given to religion as an institutional and moral actor in conflict resolution processes. This study examines the role of religion in conflict resolution with particular focus on the contemporary Biafran agitation. Using a qualitative, interpretive methodology grounded in peacebuilding theory and document analysis, the paper explores how religious institutions and discourses shape narratives of justice, legitimacy, and reconciliation. Special attention is given to the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu and the perceived double standards in state responses to agitation, analyzing their implications for trust, governance, and peacebuilding. The study argues that religion, when engaged as a mediating moral force rather than a mobilizing ideology, offers significant potential for conflict transformation and sustainable peace in Nigeria.