Ethno-Religious Tension: A Discourse of Nigeria and Russia's Perspectives

Abstract

This paper unravels ethnicity and religion in relation to the interrelated conflicts in Nigeria and Russia. These countries are specifically chosen because of the perceived similarities that exist between them. Nigeria and Russia are plural societies. Each of the countries is multi-ethnic, having numerous ethnic groups co-existing in them. Religion and beliefs of individuals have also contributed to the identity construction of the citizenry of these countries. The implications of ethno-religious relationship among the varying ethnic nationalities in Nigeria and Russia are discussed. In doing this, the paper devises content analysis methodology. The paper discusses available literatures that abound on ethno-religious conflicts, bringing into focus, the perspectives of Nigeria and Russia. The research concludes with the establishment of interrelated ethno-religious tensions in both Nigeria and Russia, thereby, contributing to the extant reservoirs of knowledge in the discourse of ethno-religious conflicts in general and Nigeria and Russia in particular.