Religion, politics and governance in Nigeria

Abstract

This study draws on extensive use of secondary sources and case studies of the Nigerian states of Kano, Anambra and Oyo, and demonstrates that relationships between the Nigerian state and religious organizations are often asymmetric and unstable. Whilst both Islam and Christianity in Nigeria provide moral frameworks for people and groups to articulate their demands and critiques of the state, they also challenge institutions provided by the state: the Muslim critique of secular law has led to the introduction of Shari'a penal law in twelve states, while Christian demands for a re-privatization of former mission schools currently under state control might reinforce Muslim disadvantage in the educational sector. The ability of religious organizations to participate in politics and governance is strongly related to patterns of inclusion and exclusion based on linguistic, ethnic and regional identity, as well as on intra-Nigerian struggles to limit the political participation of certain groups through the requirement of 'indigeneity' at State level. As a result, and given the close links between ethnicity and religion, religious competition is interwoven with the other rivalries that dominate Nigerian local politics.