This book represents a serious attempt to develop new strategies to manage the ethnic conflicts that continue to undermine Nigeria's efforts at democratic consolidation. Case studies discuss the socio- economic and political dynamics that fuel ethnic conflicts; highlight the limitations to their management; and propose civil society approaches. The book is organised into three parts. The first analyses basic concepts at play, such as ethnicity and ethnic conflict, specifically in the Nigerian context, and against the background of the position of civil society and development in the country. The second part comprises six case studies spread across Nigeria's six geo-political regions. The third section concentrates on the critical issue of civil society empowerment, and proposes ways to enhance its creative participation in the country's development.