AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF NON KINETIC PEACE MEASURES IN THE MIDDLE BELT REGION OF NIGERIA. THE FOURTH REPUBLIC.

Abstract

The issue of crisis and violence has time immemorial being a major issue in society. It effects are widely seen at the micro and macro level. Therefore at the Macro level in the middle belt region of Nigeria,  the state government being the chief security officer of the state has invented non kinetic peace measures in mitigating the rising crisis which has taken an ethno-religious posture. However, the measures seems to be ineffective has the power dynamics in the middle belt continues to fuel the crisis. The middle belt which is the food basket region of the state is now therefore reduced to a conflict zone where agricultural production output reduces day in day out and people flee for the fear of their lives. This paper applies the Power dynamic theory to explain the reason for the increasing crisis more so, the research applied the mixed research method. The research asserts that non kinetic peace measures are only effective when all stake holders involved are well identified. The research found out that the underlying hatred between and amongst the various ethnic group constitutes the major problem in the Middle belt region. The research recommends that for the middle belt to return back to it full potentials, the government must make a proactive decision in ensuring the application of the federal character policy to accommodate all the ethnic groups in the state polity.