Religion in Nigeria
Religion in West Africa has undergone significant transformation pre and post-colonization. In the past, religion was mostly based on the African religion. Individuals in west Africa believed in the existence of spirits and ancestors that governed daily living. In the 1100s, the introduction of Muslims converted many traditionalists to Islam. However, the new religion did not convert many Nigerians like Christianity, which was introduced in the 1500s. Many individuals followed the latter religion owing to the significant relationship that it held with traditional religion. Christianity believed in the existence of evil spirits, which required rebuking. Christianity also thought that evil spirits could cause harm to an individual’s life. On the other hand, Islam did not evangelize based on ancestral spirits; instead, Muslims talked about purity of life and general living. Analysis of Nigerians’ social, political, and economic lives depicts how the three facets have affected religion in Nigeria post-colonialism.
Social Situation
After independence, an exceptional drought faced Nigeria facing many individuals to migrate to the Northern parts of Nigeria between the 1960s and 1970s (Mendonsa 473). Individuals migrating to the south were largely pastoralists that wanted to avoid the effects of the famine. The communities that lived in the northern parts of Nigeria were mostly the earliest Muslims in Nigeria. The communities moved to the southern parts regardless of the religious differences that existed between the different communities. The movement brought integration between both Muslims and Christians. The individuals felt that Christianity and Islam were not that different, owing to its incorporation into politics (Larkin and Meyer 308).
Additionally, the growth of modernization after colonization had a significant impact on infrastructure. Nigeria significantly suffered from a lack of infrastructure. Nigerians did not have accessible road networks or electricity, which significantly hampered the growth of Christianity into other areas of the country. Christianity dominated the southern part of Nigeria and found it difficult to spread to other parts of the nation. Instead, evangelists turned to the film industry that provided an alternative outreach tool. The use of Christian movies and films highlighted the superiority of Christianity over evil spirits. However, the films are limited to the south of Nigeria owing to Islam predominance of the Northern part of Nigeria.
Political Situation
Postcolonialism, Nigeria was not ready for the reforms and changes required to push the nation forward. The educated elites and wealthy business people that had pushed for independence did not know how to govern the country. The policies made after independence were focused on modernization, yet Nigeria was not ready for such growth ((Mendonsa 475). Citizens still suffered from poverty and famine as in the past colonial regime. Consequently, Nigerians turned to religion, which advocated for the rights that they felt were important. In the North and South, religious-political movements sprung up (Larkin and Meyer. Many locals converted to the various religions living behind their traditional religion. New converts felt the faith filled the specific needs of the nation.
Economic Situation
During the colonial period, many individuals were migrated to the urban areas to help provide labor for industries. The situation left the weak and old in rural areas to assist in the production of food and agriculture (Mendonsa 473). The status did not change after independence since many young individuals moved to urban areas to search for jobs. The new regime also focused on modernization efforts focused on exports and industrialization. The factors provided sufficient incentives for people to migrate to urban areas (Mendonsa 479). Migrating to urban areas meant that individuals disregarded their previous economic activities in pursuit of novelty. The individuals forgot about their prior beliefs and focused on new religions. The young laborers that moved to towns no longer felt the need to practice old traditions since individuals in urban areas were mostly political in influences. Overall, Nigeria’s political, social, and economic situation pushed individuals to forgo their previous traditional religion in pursuit of both Islam and Christianity. The two religions idealized their political beliefs and expectations post-colonialism.
Works Cited
Mendonsa, Eugene L. West Africa: An introduction to its history, civilization, and contemporary situation. Carolina Academic Press, 2002.
Larkin, Brian, and Birgit Meyer. “Pentecostalism, Islam & Culture.” Themes in West Africa’s history (2006): 286-312.
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