This study examines the historical conflict resolution mechanisms in Northern Nigeria, focussing on the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods. Northern Nigeria, a region consisting of diverse ethnic groups such as the Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, and Yoruba, has long experienced interactions characterised by cooperation, competition, and conflict. In pre-colonial times, due to language barriers, conflict resolution relied on tools, symbols, and allusive languages, evolving into laws derived from natural and human thoughts. From the fifteenth to the early nineteenth centuries, intergroup relations led to the development of indigenous legal systems based on dialogue and negotiation. By 1804, the reformist jihad led by Shehu Usmanu Danfodiyo established an Islamic theocratic state in Northern Nigeria, guided by the Qur’an, Hadith, and consensus of Ulamas (Islamic scholars). In this system, conflict resolution relied on dialogue, negotiation, arbitration, and reconciliation, with Alkalis (Islamic judges) playing a central role. However, in 1903, British colonialism replaced these systems with a hybrid of colonial, traditional, and Islamic laws, diminishing the power of local rulers, including Emirs and Obas. After Nigeria’s independence in 1960, both civil and military governments further diminished the role of traditional conflict resolution. This study suggests a re-evaluation of traditional conflict resolution methods to address contemporary issues and grassroots conflicts in Northern Nigeria. It uses historical methodology, drawing from primary and secondary sources, with qualitative analysis for data interpretation.