Research: Religion and politics in Nigeria: the ethnic-religious factor in the conflict between muslim herders and christian farmers in the Middle Belt
Born in Rome on February 17, 1990. He graduated on July 14, 2009 at the J.F. Kennedy. In the same year he enrolled in the Faculty of Political Sciences, Sociology and Communication of the Sapienza University of Rome, graduating from the Bachelor's Degree in Political Sciences and International Relations on 30 June 2014 with 110 cum laude, discussing the thesis "Democracy, representation and political recruitment: from traditional parties to the Movimento 5 Stelle and to the Master's Degree in International Relations with 110 cum laude with the thesis: "Religion and politics in Sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Uganda between religious sects and inter-ethnic conflicts". In 2018 he won the competition for 250 officials of the Ministry of the Interior and since July 2018 he has been serving at the National Asylum Commission as a COI (Country of Origin Information) researcher. In 2020 he is admitted to the XXXVI Ciclo of the Research Doctorate (PhD) in Political Studies of the Department of Political Sciences.
Religion and politics in Nigeria: the ethnic-religious factor in the conflict between muslim herders and christian farmers in the Middle Belt
The complex relationship between religion, politics and the ethnicity acquires a conflicting becomes especially conflicting in Nigeria. The study and the analysis of historical and political events from the colonial era until today convey the image of a country where the processes of secularization and democratization have seen a very peculiar development with with unforeseeable outcomes. Starting from an in-depth study and critical analysis of theoretical paradigms related to the clash of civilizations, to the secularization and deprivatization of religion, the intention is to investigate ethno-religious dynamics at the heart of socio-political phenomena of present-day Nigeria. Specifically, the research will focus on the violent hostility between herders, of Fulani ethnicity and Muslim religion farmers of other ethnic minorities and Christian religion, and, in central-northern Nigeria, the so-called Middle Belt, where the religious factor has acquired an increasingly relevant role.
The conflict between herders and farmers has in fact reached a dramatic level of intensity over the years, and it primarily represents the deflagration of social, political, economic, ethnic and religious tensions underlying Nigeria’s entire history.
The intent of this research project is therefore to conduct an in-depth investigation of the history of the country and its religious components, which would allow on one hand the exploration of the political role that the religion plays in Nigerian society, and on the other hand an analysis of the conflict within the Middle Belt, focusing our attention on the ethno-religious dimension.
Key words: Postsecularism; religion, politics and ethnicity in Nigeria; Clash of civilization in Nigeria; herders and farmers conflitcts in the Middle Belt