Everyday People, Autochthony, and Indigene-Settler Crises in Lagos Commodity Markets

Abstract

Local markets in Nigerian cities are under-studied but ubiquitous and ancient sites of inter-ethnic conflicts and cooperation of everyday people (traders). Against the backdrop of indigene-settler conflicts in two major markets in Lagos, this study examines the causes of these conflicts, defined by the adversarial use of autochthony, their management and outcomes, and how macro-inter-ethnic relations inflect conflict and cooperation in local markets. While market leadership is a common cause of conflict, the management approaches adopted and outcomes differed in ways that reveal the impact of the macro on the micro. Also, post-conflict relations in markets underscore the utility of trade as a means of sustaining peaceful co-existence in a fractious country like Nigeria and the creativity of everyday people in peacebuilding, designing early warning systems, and conflict management.