THE ELEME-OKRIKA BOUNDARY CONFLICT: CHALLENGES AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Darling Alaliba Iyalla 1, Taiwo Philip Orebiyi 2 & Bayo Thomas Asala 3
Department of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja 1, 2 & 3
Corresponding Email: darlinprincess07@gmail.com 1
Abstract
The Eleme and Okrika boundary conflict in Rivers State, Nigeria, has remained a prolonged communal dispute with far-reaching effects on peace, development, and social cohesion in the Niger Delta. This paper examines the major challenges and the community engagement strategies adopted over time to manage the conflict. Using the lens of the Corporate Social Responsibility theory, the study explores how peace committees, mediation efforts, youth programmes, and locally led dialogue forums have been used to address the root causes of tension. Drawing on qualitative insights from secondary sources, the study shows that mistrust between communities, political interference, elite domination, and weak institutional frameworks have seriously limited the success of these strategies. It also finds that although some community structures exist, they are often sidelined or manipulated by dominant interests. The study argues that meaningful peacebuilding will depend on inclusive, community driven strategies that are consistently supported, legally protected, and rooted in the lived realities of the people involved.
Keywords: Boundary Conflict, Community Engagement, Conflict Management, Peacebuilding, Eleme, Okrika.
