Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) clearly and in unambiguous terms declared/stated in Section 10 that “The Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion”. No doubt this provision was included and made part of our Constitution because of the recognition of the importance religion is in the psyche and heart of its adherents. It is further to provide a level playing ground for religions and their adherents to freely practice their faith without any fear of superiority or inferiority of one religion over another. However, Nigerians witnessed how some States in Nigeria adopted Islam as a State Religion; the yearly sponsoring of Religious Pilgrimages both by the Federal and State Governments, and the building of, and ownership of Religious Institutions by the various levels of government. The participation of State Actors in Religious affairs in such brazen magnitude against the well intentions of the formulators of the Nigerian Constitution is to say the least very petrifying, and not in our national interest. It has overtime encouraged various Religious adherents to have the feeling that governments at the various level of our country Nigeria prefer some Religions over others, thus encouraging divisions and divisive tendencies amongst the Nigerian citizens. There is therefore an urgent need for the government of Nigeria at different levels to go back to the positions of the Section 10 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) so as to encourage the building of a United Nigeria not only in words but also in our collective actions. This paper relied heavily on the documented source of data collection while employing descriptive and phenomenological approach it its data analyses. At the end it is considered opinion of this work that Nigerian Governments at all level should de-emphasis the manifest support, preferences and interest shown to religions as an antidote to conflicts towards the search for peace and Nigeria's Nation building.

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