Religion and national integration in Nigeria : a transcendental religious perspective

Abstract

The decision which was made by the people of Nigeria \nprior to independence to become the Federal Republic of \nNigeria from Britain required that the People of Nigeria will \nbe integrated with one another for the purposes of coexistence, \nco-sharing of resources, co-administering and \nco-development of the nation. But this goal seems to be \nelusive in Nigeria during the nearly 50 years of her existence \nas an independent nation. What seems to linger so \nmuch is the cries of marginalization; promotion of individualistic \nand ethnic interests such as ethnic resource control; \npropagation of exclusive religious ideologies; and the practice \nof sectional and tribal politics et cetera. In view of the \nabove, this paper discusses first, the nature and essence \nof religion (specifically, Christian religion); second, the \nconcept of national integration; and third, the paper suggests \na transcendental religious orientation for national integration. \nAccording to the transcendental religious \nperspective, national integration in Nigeria after independence \nis not a choice; rather, it is an ontological necessity \n(Ajah 9).Therefore, the question of national integration \nshould not be ignored, sidelined or discarded in the name \nof any religious, political or ethnic guise/affiliation; rather, it \nshould be encouraged, embraced and put into practice by \nthe people of Nigeria in order to promote unity and development \nwithin and outside the nation.

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