Studying Religion for Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Nigeria is a pluralistic society. This is evident in ethnicity, religion and culture; three concepts that are intertwined and yet different. Most of the conflicts experienced in Nigeria are blamed on these concepts, especially religion. Nigerians do not freely discuss religion. It is a volatile subject to be discussed as a national issue. Institutions of learning shy away from studying religion as such. Religion, nonetheless, underpins and gives force to ethnicity and culture. Of the three dominant religions in Nigeria, Ancestral Religion cushions the missionary religions (Christianity and Islam). In their missionary character, they compete for sphere of influence and indoctrinate people unto fanaticism. The consequence is mutual hatred that often leads to the loss of lives and property. Religion is then seen as dysfunctional to development. The problem, however, is that people are not educated, formally and informally, on the possible contributions of religion to human development. Nigeria’s tertiary institutions serve as the starting point. The paper concludes that the study of religion is indispensable for sustainable development in Nigeria. It recommends that for this type of development to be achieved, students of religion should be given a pride of place in Nigeria’s politics and economy.