Abstract:
Ethno-religious conflict continues to undermine peace and social cohesion in Hausa society despite longstanding traditional mechanisms for conflict management. This study examines the role of indigenous communication in preventing ethno religious conflict in Hausa communities, with emphasis on how culturally grounded communication systems contribute to peace-building. The study is anchored on Cultural Communication Theory and Conflict Transformation Theory and adopts a qualitative research design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and document analysis from selected Hausa speaking communities in Northern Nigeria. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Findings reveal that indigenous communication systems such as traditional rulers, religious leaders, elders, proverbs and oral narratives play a critical role in early warning, mediation and reconciliation processes. The study further shows that these systems enhance trust, reduce misinformation and strengthen dialogue among conflicting groups. However, challenges such as; urbanization, declining respect for traditional authority and the spread of digital misinformation limit their effectiveness. The study identifies a research gap in the limited empirical focus on how indigenous communication interacts with modern digital media in conflict prevention. It concludes that strengthening indigenous communication alongside digital platforms can significantly improve peace-building outcomes in Hausa society.
Keywords: Conflict prevention; Cultural communication; Hausa society; Indigenous communication; Peace-building.
DOI: 10.36349/djhs.2026.v04i01.005
author/Abubakar Mohammed, PhD and Rilwanu Umar Zauro
journal/Dundaye JOHS, July 2026
