Nigeria and the quest for a secular state: The way forward

Wendy Chinonyerem Benaiah; Oluwanifemi Pelumi Adeyemo

doi:10.4314/njrcs.v13i3.2

Authors

Wendy Chinonyerem Benaiah Pan African University Institute of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences, Cameroon. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6277-272X
Oluwanifemi Pelumi Adeyemo Pan African University Institute of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences, Cameroon.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/njrcs.v13i3.2

Keywords:

Nigeria, Politics, Religion, Secularism

Abstract

The persistent influence of religion on Nigeria’s politics continues to cast aspersions on the state’s secularism. Nigeria is religiously pluralistic with adherents of Christianity and Islam differing on the notion of secularism. This divergence in opinion is further heightened by the absence of a general consensus on the meaning of secularism. The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended is not specific in professing the state’s secularism, it only affirmed antiestablishment, religious freedom and equality. Relying on secondary data, the article utilises content analysis to provide a refined understanding of the complexities surrounding Nigeria's quest for secularism. The findings reveal that existing relations between religion and politics contradict the notion of secularism, and strengthens the supposition that Nigeria is only secular in theory but not in practice. This paper highlights the benefits of secularism in a pluralistic state and recommends civic education among others, to quell the age-old secularism debate.