Religion as a catalyst of nation building in Nigeria

Abstract

Religion is one of the recognized factors that can enhance the nation at any given period of history. It has been practiced over time, which proves that religion is as old as man himself. But in recent times, religion has also been taken in a manner that people unleash attack on one another, which has created an image of incredibility for it. Actions that threaten peaceful co-existence, stability and development of nation have been exhibited by adherents of various religions in Nigeria. Thus, the place of religion in addressing national issues has become questionable. Be that as it may, this research aims at examining the contents of religion and its place in nation building towards sustainable development in Nigeria. Indeed it is often lamented that if Nigerians live by the ethics and doctrines of the three main religions, several societal problems would be taken care of. In order to achieve the objective of this research which is to unveil those potentials of religion towards integrating the diverse and heterogeneous configuration of Nigeria, two approaches will be adopted. These are the social analysis of the Nigerian nation in view of the fact that Nigeria is believed to be “a nation of many nations”, and expository analysis of the values inherent in the three main religions in Nigeria (sociological and religious analysis). This implies an examination of the key concepts of this paper which are “religion” and “nation-building”. The reality of religious crisis in Nigeria over time will be brought into focus as a justification and assertion that a proper integration of values common to all religions in Nigeria is capable and will ensure a formidable nationhood of Nigeria.

Keywords: History, peaceful co-existence, sustainable development, religious analysis, crises.