Oral History Methodology and Its Application in Documenting the Experiences of Conflict Survivors in Plateau State

This study examines the professional application of oral history methodology in documenting the experiences of survivors of inter-communal conflict in Plateau State, located in Nigeria's North Central geopolitical zone. Plateau State has experienced recurrent episodes of violent conflict since the 1990s, and the testimonies of survivors hold critical value for both historical record and transitional justice processes. Yet the professional standards and ethical protocols guiding oral history practice among Nigerian historians and practitioners remain underdeveloped. Using a professional practitioner design, the study conducted 40 structured oral history interviews with conflict survivors in Jos North and Barkin Ladi local government areas, supplemented by a review of oral history methodological literature published between 2019 and 2024. The Oral History Theory and the Transitional Justice Documentation Framework provide the analytical lenses. Findings reveal that survivors' testimonies provide richly detailed accounts of pre-conflict social relations, conflict triggers, and post-conflict displacement that are not captured in police, military, or government reports. Methodological challenges including respondent trauma, language mediation in multi-lingual communities, and the risk of re-traumatisation through interview processes are documented and addressed through professional protocol recommendations. The study recommends the adoption of a Nigerian Oral History Professional Ethics Code and the integration of conflict-sensitive oral history training into postgraduate history programmes. Keywords: oral history, methodology, conflict survivors, Plateau State, transitional justice.