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Nigeria: A Secular or Multi-Religious Society?

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This writer has often heard it said by some starry-eyed political theorists and religion enthusiasts that Nigeria is not a secular state but a mulch-religious state. This view, which offends the conventional interpretation of the constitution, seems to be gaining grounds even among enlightened liberal thinkers who are not enmeshed in religious biases.
The oft-peddled justification for this latter-day rationalisation on our non-secularity is that the 1999 Constitution, like others that preceded it, does not anywhere mention the word “secular” whereas the said constitution provides for freedom of religion. The proponents of the said construct would also point to religious apparatus by the authorities like Pilgrims Welfare Boards as mainstreaming of religious tenets by the officialdom.
The state does not only plan and organise the pilgrimage to Mecca and Jerusalem but also subisidise the costs of and even completely sponsors some pilgrims. The declaration of numerous public holidays on religious holy days by the government has also been cited as a formal recognition of religion in Nigeria. Furthermore, religious creeds are taught in our schools from kindergarten to the tertiary institutions.

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AWDF.0626.C1

AWDF.0626

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Call Number

AWDF.0626

Publisher

Nigeria : ., 2004

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

978-37259-4-7

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