Ethno-Religious Crisis and Development in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria Between 2002- 2022

The study examined the ethno-religious crisis and the problems militating against development in plateau state between 2002 -2022. Some of the specific objectives were to ascertain the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents in Jos, Plateau State, examine the major causes of crisis/insecurity in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, determine the negative effects of ethno-religious crisis on the economic, social and political development of the state and future generation. Descriptive research survey design technique was used in the study. The area is made up of 4.2m people while the sample size for the study comprised two hundred (200) residents/respondents drawn from all the local government areas of the state using random sampling techniques. The instrument used for the study was well structured questionnaire on a modified 4 points likert’s scale type with varying degrees of items in each cluster. Pearson Product Moment correlation giving a reliability coefficient of 0.86, mean and percentage distribution were used in analyzing the research questions while T-test was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that the major causes of ethno-religious conflict in Jos, Plateau State were marginalization, citizenship and indigene, religious and ethnic intolerance, victimization, land dispute, struggle for power. The effects/implication of ethno-religious conflict on the socioeconomic and political development of the area were loss of lives (15.14%), destruction of social and economic activities and among others. Also, ineffective internal security, conspiracy of the national elites, arrogance of power, and know it mentality, mutual distrust and lack of confidence etc were all accepted as the challenges of ethno-religious conflict in the area. It also showed that deployment of security, setting up of vigilante group, provision of welfare for victims of conflicts and the orphans and widows in the affected areas, reconciliation, educating people on the need for peace by organising games, etc were all accepted as the government efforts in promoting ethnoreligious harmony in the area. It was recommended that there should be a transparent and accountable leadership that rises above primordial consideration to enhance the peaceful coexistence of autochthons and settlers in Jos, Plateau State.