By James Bwala—
Last week, I visited Kiss FM 99.9 in Garki to supervise one of my students undertaking their SIWES industrial placement at the station. I arrived during a live phone-in programme discussing politics and religion—specifically focused on recent visits by religious leaders to the presidency and their endorsements of the Tinubu-Shettima administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The discussion grew animated, and as I listened, I reflected on how deeply intertwined these two spheres have become. After the show, I spoke with the presenter, Mr Felix, noting that in the current Nigerian context, political leaders often act as religious leaders—where every statement made can either build or destroy national cohesion.
Later that day, while waiting at an office on Gwani Street, I overheard staff passionately discussing Nigeria’s security challenges. They expressed frustration at the government’s perceived inability to end Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and widespread kidnapping across the country.
When asked for my perspective on how insecurity could truly be brought to an end, I offered a direct assessment: “To end insecurity, we must remove religion from Nigerian politics.”
My statement sparked an immediate debate. I referenced the warning issued by Malam Aminu Kano in 1956 regarding the dangers that arise when political and religious elites align at the expense of the everyday citizen.
While it is common practice in public discourse to lay blame solely at the feet of the government and the armed forces, this singular focus often overlooks the complex socio-religious dynamics that fuel and sustain conflict. Insecurity is not merely a failure of governance or military capacity; it is exacerbated by the weaponisation of religious identity.
In Nigeria, religion is rarely a purely private matter—it is a powerful social force. Regrettably, it is frequently exploited to sow division. Extremist interpretations foster an “us-versus-them” mentality, dehumanising those of differing faiths.
For instance, the farmer-herder crisis is repeatedly framed in religious terms—pitting Christian farmers against Muslim herders—thereby obscuring root causes such as land scarcity, environmental degradation, resource competition, and historical grievances. Framing complex socio-economic problems as intractable faith-based conflicts makes genuine reconciliation exceptionally difficult.
Furthermore, while many religious leaders promote peace, others contribute to instability through inflammatory rhetoric, justifying violence, or refusing to condemn atrocities committed by their adherents.
It is important to acknowledge that religion is not the sole driver of insecurity. Poverty, unemployment, corruption, ethnic tension, and the proliferation of small arms all play major roles. However, religion acts as an accelerant, transforming underlying vulnerabilities into active conflicts. Economic hardship, for example, is easily exploited by demagogues promising divine retribution or spiritual justification for violence.
If Nigeria is to achieve lasting stability, any comprehensive security strategy must dismantle the ways in which religion is manipulated. We can draw lessons from the world’s most peaceful nations—such as Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Singapore, and Japan—where there is a strict separation between religion, governance, and political campaigning.
Only by removing religion from statecraft and political opportunism, fostering genuine interfaith dialogue, and addressing core socio-economic issues can Nigeria break the cycle of insecurity.
*Dr Bwala writes from Abuja.
