Sociological Evaluation of Social Cohesion Programmes in Post-Amnesty Niger Delta Communities

The Presidential Amnesty Programme for ex-militants in the Niger Delta has provided economic benefits to thousands of beneficiaries, yet the programme's contribution to durable social cohesion within and between communities affected by oil militancy remains professionally under-examined. This study sociologically evaluates social cohesion outcomes of post-amnesty programmes in selected communities in Bayelsa and Delta States, South South Nigeria. A professional evaluation design was adopted, combining review of three amnesty programme social components, structured surveys measuring social cohesion indicators administered to 160 community residents, and interviews with twenty-five community leaders, amnesty programme officials, and civil society observers. The Social Cohesion Index framework, adapted for the Niger Delta context, guided measurement and analysis. Results indicate that inter-community trust scores were higher in communities where amnesty ex-militants had maintained visible economic integration, compared to communities where returnees remained economically marginalized. Intra-community social divisions between amnesty beneficiaries and non-beneficiary peers were documented as a source of persistent tension in 60% of visited communities, driven by perceived inequity in programme access. Women's exclusion from amnesty economic benefits had generated gender-based social cohesion deficits in three of five study communities. Social cohesion around shared infrastructure, particularly community water and school projects, was stronger where communities had co-designed projects with amnesty programme resources. Recommendations include gender-inclusive amnesty economic benefits, community-level reconciliation programmes, and transparent benefit allocation processes in Delta and Bayelsa State post-amnesty communities. Keywords: social cohesion, amnesty programme, Niger Delta, ex-militants, post-conflict.