Institutional Trust and Peacebuilding in Post-Conflict Anambra State Communities

This study investigates the role of institutional trust in shaping peacebuilding outcomes in communities in Anambra State, South East Nigeria, that have experienced intra-community and political violence over the past decade. Institutional trust, referring to citizens' confidence in government, security agencies, and traditional institutions, is theorised as a critical enabling condition for sustainable peacebuilding, yet its measurement and causal pathways in Southeast Nigerian communities remain understudied. Employing a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 280 community members across Onitsha North, Awka South, and Nnewi North local government areas using validated institutional trust and peacebuilding outcome scales. Structural equation modelling was employed to test hypothesised trust-peacebuilding pathways. The theoretical framework draws from institutional trust theory and peacebuilding effectiveness frameworks. Findings indicate that trust in traditional institutions is the strongest predictor of peacebuilding participation and compliance with community peace agreements, exceeding the predictive power of trust in government or security agencies. Trust in formal security agencies is particularly low among younger community members, representing a barrier to youth engagement in formal peace processes. The study reveals that transparency in community peace fund management and consistent follow-through on peace agreement provisions are the strongest institutional trust builders. Recommendations include enhancing traditional institution transparency and accountability in Anambra peace processes, investing in youth-specific trust-building initiatives with security agencies, and institutionalising community peace agreement monitoring with publicly reported progress updates. Keywords: institutional trust, peacebuilding, Anambra State, community peace, Southeast Nigeria.