Media and Peacebuilding in Zamfara State of North-West Nigeria: A Study of an Armed Bandit Conflict

Abstract

This paper examined the ways radio contributed to peacebuilding and promotion using the case
of armed banditry and cattle rustling in Zamfara State. The study was guided by four specific
objectives: to find out whether radio can be used as a mechanism of peacebuilding; to find out
if the intervention by radio programs have influenced the escalation or de-escalation of armed
bandits’ conflict in Zamfara; to examine the extent to which the people of Zamfara use radio
as a mechanism of peacebuilding; and finally to survey the perceptions of people of Zamfara
towards the use of radio in peacebuilding. The study used survey research design and data were
gathered through a questionnaire administered to 338 respondents. The data were thematically
analyzed by classifying major issues and recurrent themes. Then they were presented in narrative
form. The findings of the study showed that radio served as an appropriate, cheap and easily
accessible medium of passing peace messages; contributed considerably to the de-escalation of
conflict; and reduced the frequency of conflict in the state. An overwhelming majority of the
respondents (98%) agreed that radio has been the best medium for promoting peacebuilding. In
conclusion, radio proves to be effective in dousing tensions and disseminating information on
what needs to be done. Finally, the paper recommended that the government should formulate
policies that make it possible to involve radio in conflict resolution efforts since it is cheap and
easily accessible to many people.