Hedonic Price Modeling of the Influence of Violent Ethno-Religious Conflict on Residential Property Values in Bauchi Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

After about thirty years of military dictatorship, Nigeria found herself again in the mainstream of democratic governance. While this development was seen by some people as an avenue to explore dividends and goodies of democracy, others saw it as an opportunity to express grievances, the outcome of which is the occurrence and re-occurrence of ethno-religious and political conflicts. Since the re-emergence of democracy in May 1999, not less than one hundred politically, ethnically and religiously motivated conflicts have occurred in Nigeria. This paper examines the persistent waves of ethno-religious and political conflicts and the threat they pose to the nascent democracy in Nigeria. The paper investigates the history of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria and argues that the foundation of ethno-religious and political conflicts was laid by colonialism, boosted by military dictatorship and strengthened by the contradictions embedded in the Nigerian federalism. The paper concludes that good governance, accountability, poverty and unemployment reduction and restructuring of federalism are important issues to be addressed in order to solve permanently the problem of ethno-religious and political conflicts that have continued to threaten Nigeria democracy.