The Political Economy of Peacebuilding in Nigeria's Niger Delta Region

Most conflicts including insurrection of militant movement in the Niger Delta are subject to contestation due to natural resources and the accruing benefits therefrom are inextricably linked to its political economy. Therefore, the political economy of peace building is about response mechanisms evolved by the government to address their root or potential causes. The article examines the political economy of peace building highlighting the vital roles of government agencies and their paradoxical nuances in addressing the conflict and deficit of development infrastructure. From a critical institutional perspective of the mandate of government agencies, the article attempts a kaleidoscopic reflection of the peace building framework of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Presidential Amnesty Programme and Ministry of the Niger Delta Affair. The broad objective is to examine the peace building framework evolved to address the root or potential causes and create a supportive environment to avoid relapse of violence. It is a descriptive survey using data generated from scholarly review, official reports and personal interviews from parts of a broader fieldwork in the Niger Delta. The article highlights arguments on the paradoxical nuances that precipitates a lack of coordination of the peace building efforts of NDDC, PAP and MNDA and its negative implications for genuine security and sustainable development. In doing so, it proposes the establishment of a directorate of compliance with internal protocol to direct financial and performance reporting obligations by the agencies. Finally, the article concludes that in order to alter conflict dynamics into sustainable peace, the micro, meso and macro elements of political economy of peace building should be mainstreamed.