is nigeria a secular state

In Nigeria, religion has become a tool for politics. In his affidavits supporting the application, Omirhobo said Nigeria is a multi-religion state. A secular Nigeria will be more effective in tackling religious extremism. According to a 2018 estimate in The World Factbook by the CIA, the population is estimated to be 53.5% Muslim, 45.9% Christian (10.6% Roman Catholic and 35.3% other Christian), and 0.6% as other. On Monday, March 08, 2021, the Kwara State Government announced that the schools should be reopened. Religious bodies to pay compensation for damages done by their members. According to Wikipedia, a Secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state or country purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion". The question is, of course, not for Boko Haram and related groups. An Islamic state is a theocratic state. Secularism ensures that the right of individuals to freedom of religion is always balanced by the right to be free from religion. Found insideThis volume provides interested readers with an accessible overview of essential questions related to widening inequality stemming from Nigeria's oil wealth, Nigeria's historic 2015presidential election, the persistent security threat of ... On paper, Nigeria is a secular state. This article explores the impact of religion on Nigerians living This means that secular states support neither religion nor irreligion and does not have an official religion. So, it is being watched by Nigerians in and out of Nigeria. The first position in the debate, the ‘secularist’ position, answers the question in the positive. It is easy to situate the country’s shunted progress and economic growth to its religiosity. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These Constitutional provisions have been the subject of tendentious interpretations. And the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission can’t suspend the broadcaster’s licence. Nigeria must be clearly described as a secular state in the Constitution and secularism or secular state must equally be defined in the interpretation section of the same Constitution. While its definition as the separation of religion from civic affairs and the state is the most common among its many features. Similarly, a lawyer, Osita Nnamani Ogbu, wrote in an article entitled, “Is Nigeria a Secular State? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Based on a wealth of demographic research, considering questions of multiculturalism and terrorism, Kaufmann examines the implications of the decline in liberal secularism as religious conservatism rises - and what this means for the future ... A budding multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural democracy brimming with potential. Secularists want freedoms of thought and conscience to apply equally to all  believers and non-believers alike. Nigeria had just returned to a democratic government after many years of military rule. President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Southern Nigeria Christian was the president. Officially, Nigeria is a secular state, meaning there is no official religion and the citizens are free to practice any religion of their choice. The Pew Forum in a 2010 report compared reports from several … As a matter of fact, even the phrase “Secular State” is not used anywhere in the constitution. And frequently the government officials will provide cover.”. in Nigeria in the broader context of Nigeria's ongoing religious tensions and its establishment as a constitu-tionally secular state. As a result of the multi-ethnic and multi-faith outlook of the Nigerian nation whose history can be traced to amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorate in the year 1914, the Nigerian nation adopted a secular outlook to suit it new existing structure for the sake of a peaceful and harmonious co-existence among its people. It not only allows for the tolerance of religion, but also for positive support and interaction with religious groups. Many Christians rejected the law they believed was inconsistent with the Nigeria Constitution. Specific regions currently being targeted, according to the report, are the South and North-West regions. But Nigeria recognizes all the religions in the country and the Constitution also begins with the words ‘under God’. The latter on the other hand postulates a pluralist society where secularity is seen as a cohesive 1 Jeremiah Shola; Secularism and the Politics of Religious Balancing in Nigeria (Department of Political Science and Public Administration Redeemers University, Redemption City Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria)pg 2. Your email address will not be published. This book explores the meaning of secularism and religious freedom in these new contexts. Also Followers of these three major religions in Nigeria take different positions on the question of the secularity of the Nigerian state. “The Federal Government of Nigeria received the news with surprise, that a secular country under a democratic government would be so designated. A secular state is one that does not recognize religion as in communist states. The major religious groups – Islam & Christianity – are always at the centre of the tug. Even if false, the claim would never have been made were it not for the inherent misgivings. Secular means not religious, and the constitution is clear that Nigeria is a secular state. Despite the myriad ethnic flashpoints and political machinations, the most destabilising cleavage in Nigerian politics today is Islamists restiveness. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Boko Haram and the Threat to the Secular Nigerian State. Kindly share this story: Minabere Ibelema. Religion is one of the powerful tools deployed by power mongers to hold on to government. You’re going to the right place if you’re looking for sunshine because all through the year, Nigeria is generally warm. – Psquare, the True African Giant. And given that Nigeria is by constitution a secular state, it may well be treasonous. A secular state is one that does not recognize religion as in communist states. Debo Onifade Discusses His Book ‘Liberating Nigeria’, Heavy traffic in Lekki as Lagos residents flout lockdown, President Muhammadu Buhari orders three-month moratorium loans for TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans, COVID-19: IT IS TIME TO DISCUSS UNIVERSAL FREE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL NIGERIANS. If Nigeria can separate religion from governance, it will be one of the best decisions that will place the country on the right path. Through secularism, Nigeria seeks not only to maintain some form of neutrality and independence on religious matters, but also allows Nigerians religious freedom. There is a scientific representation of neither the numerical strength of these religious groups nor their geographical distribution.1The Islamic faith preponderates in the northwestern and northeastern parts of the country [which is composed of Sokoto, Zamfara, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, Bauchi, Taraba (although Taraba State has an almo… A full day can go on with attacks happening and no security shows up. Your email address will not be published. More about that next Sunday. Individuals have rights; ideas do not. Until the matter at the Supreme Court is decided, the Christian community needs to allow the government to decide how it wants the schools whose staff are under its payment roll to run. So, the question bears restating, “Are Muslim leaders on a quest to Islamising Nigeria?” And, if so, would they openly say so to allow for open dialogue? Irrespective of the faith or denomination, religion when truly practiced in its truest form and spirit, has been and remains sacred. In the South-West, for example, Muslims are largely committed to Nigeria as a secular state in which people of different faith coexist. Jihadists are bent on converting others to their faith by all means. be established at a state's creation (e.g., the Soviet Union, the United It is a secular state that can guarantee equal rights of Nigerians of faiths and none. Similarly, a lawyer, Osita Nnamani Ogbu, wrote in an article entitled, “Is Nigeria a Secular State? As a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, Section 10 of the1999 Constitution states that Nigeria is a secular state. Here is a list of some government activities which have strayed into one religious stream or the other; Following the realities of the Nigerian state and its inability to conform to the ideal of a pure secular state in the wake of its pluralistic nature. Its secularity, however, is a formality considering how polarised the country has been in recent times. Found insideExamines how Salafism, a globally influential Muslim movement, is reshaping religious authority in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. Sharia as applied today violates the principles of secularism and endangers non-Muslim religious communities in the northern and Middle Belt regions. By Imam Murtadha Gusau In The Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, Most Compassionate Alhamdulillah, indeed, all praise is due to Allah. The ban on the use of hijab by the Lagos state government under the guise that Nigeria is a secular state, hence, that government must do everything to protect the secular nature of the state is untenable. The Constitution did not only imply the secular nature of the Nigerian state but also “prohibits both states and the Federal Government from adopting any religion as … By whatever means, Islamisation is destabilisation. STATE CONTROL OF RELIGION IN NIGERIA: THE DILEMMA OF A SECULAR STATE Collins O. Chijioke, Ph.D* *Associates Professor of Law and Head of Department, Private and Property Law, Faculty of Law, Umuahia, Nigeria. Your email address will not be published. Found insideDisputing the prevalent idea that diversity is a new challenge to secularism and focusing on comparison itself as part of the politics of secularism, this book makes a major contribution to understanding secular politics and its limits. Data not found. The change contradicted the country’s 1999 national constitution, which declared Nigeria a secular state. Some of these countries are Sierra Leone, Syria, Mali, Nigeria, Chad, Turkey, Benin, Central Africa Republic (CAR), Guinea, and Senegal. In a 2019 report released by Pew Research Center in 2015 the Muslim population was estimated to be 50% while the Christian population was estimated to be 48.1%. Found insideIn a comparison of Western Europe and North America, Christianity and Islam, Joppke advances far-reaching theoretical, historical, and comparative-political arguments. Found insideIn Secular Translations, the anthropologist Talal Asad reflects on his lifelong engagement with secularism and its contradictions. Besides, Mr. Akintola argues that the Holy Bible, which is the scripture for Christians all over the world, is … Copyright PUNCH. Some operate from the bush and some from public offices. In a democracy, all ideas and beliefs must be open to discussion. Moreover, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court – Justice Niki Tobi – similarly expressed the view that Nigeria is not a secular state. This work argues that such a break with secular constitutional traditions in a multireligious country can have disastrous consequences We should make it official – Nigeria is either an Islamic or Christian State or both. The debate as to whether There were protests over the declaration by the Governors of the states. State-sponsored inter-denominational services and carols. In his affidavits supporting the application, Omirhobo said Nigeria is a multi-religion state. Since interaction theory provides avenues for exchanges of non-material goods and materials, we used this theory as the most appropriate in the conduct of this study. The government has built a Central Mosque and an Ecumenical Centre for Islam and Christianity respectively. Found insideThis book examines 111 types of state religion policy in 177 countries between 1990 and 2008. Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have been at loggerheads and this is becoming more pronounced by the day. Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state. At best, Nigeria can only be described as a multi-religious state or country. Nigeria is a secular State, so nobody should force any religion on anybody. Among other things, the broadcast cites the bloodbath in southern Kaduna and the recurrent mass killings by herdsmen in the Middle Belt and elsewhere. On Wednesday, March 17, 2021, violence did break out between Muslims and Christians and the schools were again shut. Separation of religious institutions from state institutions and a public sphere where religion may participate, but not dominate. Nigeria is a multi-religious nation. We believe that truth and facts still exist and must be highlighted and unashamedly defended on our platform. And here lies the tragic irony. Unlike many legal systems, Sharia is not composed of We are Federal Character without bad manners. It is the minority who don’t that threaten to tear the country apart. Every activity was a religious exercise, and the individual was left to relate to his or her maker according to how it satisfied the spiritual That was recently the fate of five Nigerians who were delivering COVID-19 aid to villages in Borno State and were abducted and executed. Eleven out of the nineteen states in northern Nigeria with majority Muslim populations, including Kano and Kaduna, followed suit. A secular Nigeria will be more effective in tackling religious extremism. They do not wish to curtail religious freedoms. In the face of Islam's own internal struggles, it is not easy to see who we should support and how. No doubt, Nigeria has not adopted any religion as a state religion but that alone is not enough to qualify it as a Secular State as there is more to the concept of a Secular State than not having a state religion. Adherents of these two major religions take divergent positions on the question of the secularity of the Nigerian state. The Kwara State Government had in February ordered the temporary closure of 10 grant-aided secondary schools in the state capital of Ilorin pending the resolution of the controversy in the schools. Our fellow African country Senegal, a dominant state still remains a secular state because they believed in togetherness and they respect each other religion. All Rights Reserved. Saturday and Sunday are work free days for all public officers. The recent and current controversies over Hijab-wearing in Kwara State schools arguably owned by Christian Missionaries bring to fore how Nigeria being a secular state remains a mirage. The Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act criminalises all forms of same-sex unions and same-sex marriage throughout the country . Freedom of Religion and the Secular State offers a comprehensive analysis, with a global focus, of the subject of religious freedom from a legal as well as historical and philosophical viewpoint. Those who practice the Muslim faith have resisted examinations of their religion. Found insideThe first comprehensive analysis of Muslim movements of reform in modern sub-Saharan AfricaBased on twelve case studies (Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and the Comoros), this book ... 2023 Presidency Election: Zoning, Should the Young Ones Be Given a Chance to Rule? Found insideThis book will be a valuable resource for those working in the areas of Law and Religion, Religious Studies, African Studies, Political Science, Legal Anthropology and Socio-legal Studies. Against the structure of the Nigerian secular system, it is obvious that we are not practicing a full secular system, instead what is being practiced is a mild or soft secular system, however for peace to be restored to our federating units, which is the only panacea for growth development, the Nigerian state needs to adjust its constitutional structure to fit its realities. Although the Constitution is silent on the sources of Nigeria law Islamic law has been recognized as one of the sources of Nigerian law. While Nigeria claims to be a secular country, the actions of the 12 northern states that have adopted Sharia criminal law and their support from the federal government have proven otherwise. mibelema@bellsouth.net Most people are familiar with the age-old question, “What do women want?” For Nigeria, the variant to that question is, “What do Muslims want?” It is a question that arises only in the context [...]