Inter-Religious and Inter-Ethnic Co-Existence in Nigeria: Reflections and Policy Option

Religion remains enormously influential in the construction and mobilization of collective identities. In the same vein, ethnicity seeks to influence the structure of power in a country and calls attention to perceived deteriorating material conditions, political deprivation or marginalization of its groups. Religion could serve, and has indeed served as an instrument of social harmony. Ethnicity could also serve, and has indeed served as a uniting and integrating weapon in deeply heterogeneous, plural, federal and divided societies to supplement and complement “unity in diversity”. Paradoxically, however, religion and ethnicity have also served as motivations for violence, conflicts, insurgency and counter insurgency. This is the situation in Nigeria, where it has been a problematic problem to achieve inter-religious and inter-ethnic peaceful co-existence. Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 has contributed to a noticeable upsurge in religious, ethnic and communal conflicts.

What factors are responsible for inter-religious and inter-ethnic conflicts in Nigeria? What warning signs can be identified to prevent and/or curb inter-religious and inter-ethnic conflicts? What changes are necessary and desirable with the present situation to avoid disintegration and fragmentation being threatened by religious and ethnic conflicts as Nigeria approaches another attempt at democratic rule consolidation in socio-economic and political conditions which are less propitious than on past occasions since independence.

This paper on inter-religious and inter-ethnic co-existence in Nigeria: Reflections and Policy Options, attempts to provide some answers within the limitations to which the author is exposed.

Keywords: Religion, Ethnicity, Conflicts, Violence, Unity, National integration, Inter-religious co-existence, Inter-ethnic co-existence.