Traditional Conflict Resolution Mechanisms Among the Yoruba and Their Contemporary Relevance in Ogun State

This study examines traditional Yoruba conflict resolution mechanisms and assesses their contemporary relevance as complements to formal dispute resolution institutions in Ogun State, located in Nigeria's South West geopolitical zone. Pre-colonial Yoruba societies developed sophisticated systems of conflict management based on the authority of lineage elders, the Ogboni society, and age-grade councils, which provided community-based mechanisms for mediating land disputes, matrimonial conflicts, and inter-community tensions. Using a descriptive historical and ethnographic design, the study draws on oral tradition interviews with 25 traditional council members, court records, and anthropological literature, supplemented by secondary sources published between 2020 and 2024. The Customary Law Theory and the Legal Pluralism Framework provide the analytical lenses. Findings indicate that traditional Yoruba conflict resolution systems emphasise restorative rather than punitive justice, seeking outcomes that restore community harmony and maintain social relationships. These features make them particularly valuable for managing the types of interpersonal and community-level conflicts that overwhelm formal court systems in Ogun State. The study documents how colonial common law imposition marginalised customary dispute resolution and argues for a structured hybrid justice system that formally incorporates traditional mechanisms under constitutional oversight. Keywords: Yoruba conflict resolution, customary law, legal pluralism, Ogun State, traditional governance.