The Role of Traditional Rulers in Conflict Resolution and Community Development in Taraba State, North East Nigeria

This study investigates the roles of traditional rulers in mediating conflicts and facilitating community development initiatives in Taraba State, North East Nigeria. Taraba State is known for its ethnic diversity and recurring inter-communal conflicts over land, grazing routes, and cultural rights, making the governance capacity of traditional institutions critically important. Drawing on traditional governance theory and recent literature on customary institutions in conflict-affected regions of Nigeria from 2019 to 2024, the study employs a descriptive survey design. A sample of 230 respondents including traditional rulers, community elders, local government chairmen, and civil society actors is selected through purposive sampling across three local government areas in Taraba State. Data collection instruments include semi-structured interview guides and focus group protocols. Qualitative thematic analysis is applied to interpret findings. The study expects to find that traditional rulers possess significant social capital and cultural legitimacy that enables them to broker peace agreements and mobilise community resources for development, but that their effectiveness is constrained by inadequate financial support, erosion of customary authority by formal government structures, and lack of integration into official conflict resolution frameworks. Recommendations will address formalising the partnership between customary institutions and state peacebuilding agencies in Taraba and comparable multi-ethnic North East states. Keywords: traditional rulers, conflict resolution, community development, Taraba State, customary governance