Extra Mundane Means of Conflict Resolution among the Igbo Group of Nigeria: An Anthropological Appraisal

There is ample evidence in literature of extra mundane options for conflict resolution among the Igbo group of Nigeria through the continuous interaction between the living and the dead. This is exemplified in the masquerade, deities or oracles and the role of diviners who consult the spirit world and bring forth their opinion on issues that bother the living. The objectives of this review paper which is anchored on structural functionalism is primarily to account for those extra mundane approaches to conflict resolution adopted in traditional Igbo society. Secondly, the paper is an attempt to assess both the impact of modernization and the relevance of such mundane strategies of conflict resolution to today’s conflict ridden Nigerian state. The author were of the view that given the fact that masquerades, deities and diviners are still important and revered aspects of the culture of contemporary Igbo societies, extra mundane approaches to conflict resolution should be refined and integrated into conflict resolution paraphernalia of the new Nigerian state.

Keywords: Extra Mundane, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Masquerade, Deities, Diviners.