Oil Price Shocks and Civil Conflict: Evidence from Nigeria

When and for what reason do governments choose to monopolize violence and consolidate power? Theory suggests three channels: when the government has coercive power against the opposition, if it shifts the distribution of power in its favor, and when contingent spoils are large. Using international oil price shocks and a novel dataset on oil-producing local government areas, this article examines how commodity prices affect civil conflict in Nigeria. Results show that a rise in oil price leads to a more than proportionate increase in government attacks on rebel groups in the oil region. The findings are consistent with the theoretical predictions: positive oil price shocks increase the monopoly of violence by the government through an increase in coercion, a rise in regaining territories from rebel groups, and an increase of violence in areas with large oil fields.