THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN AGGRAVATING ETHNIC TENSION IN THE NIGERIAN POLITY

Abstract

Nigeria is a multicultural, multilingual and multi-religious nation hosting over 400 hundred ethnic groups that are spread amongst three major religions, Christian religion, Islamic region and traditional African religion. Scholars of conflict studies have researched several possible factors of ethnic conflict and tension amongst the various ethnic groups that populate Nigeria. These causes range from structural and social factors, sectionalism, ethnocentrism, political imbalance and economic issues. Religious beliefs of ethnic groups are threatened by the beliefs of other ethnic groups leading to ethno-religious conflicts in the nation. However, adequate research visibility has not been given to the role of religion in ethnic tension in the Nigerian polity. It is against this background that this paper adopts the descriptive method that seeks to problematize religion and ethnic tension, particularly, the immersion of religion in the heightening of ethnic tension and how this has negatively impacted the national polity. The paper holds strongly that ethno-religious animosities result in aggravating ethnic tensions and national instability in Nigeria.