By Festus Ogunseitan
Religion has become the biggest issue in Nigeria, outweighing several other factors. Solving it will resolve many issues for Africa because Nigeria is seen as a giant and a symbolic trigger for the continent.
Some time ago, precisely in 2023, Binos Yaroe, a Senator on the Senate platform, suggested a bill to regulate religion, particularly Christianity in Nigeria. The bill proposed setting a ceiling on the performance of General Overseer duties and monitoring religious systems, including making financial matters publicly controlled—similar to what exists in the Western world.
There was a similar bill earlier, sometime during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, which was instantly rebuffed by a cross-section of the Pentecostal church. They vehemently complained that the plan was a ploy to control the faith of the people and to hijack Christianity in favor of the Islamic religion, thereby turning Nigeria into a religious state. A key player involved in the suggestion was subsequently indicted, restrained, and barred from performing his statutory duties.
Religion in Africa has done more harm than good to millions of its citizens—particularly the youth—and has marred the image of the continent on the international stage.
Most crimes stemming from religious intolerance—between Christians and Muslims, Boko Haram, and terrorism—remain unresolved to this day.
There are also community-level conflicts leading to arson and murder, especially from the Islamic religion in the North. Individuals accused of desecrating the holy prophet or showing contempt for his name are often subjected to capital crimes like murder—actions that should never be condoned, as is still common in many areas of the North.
Another crime rooted in religion is the destruction of properties due to religious intolerance, especially in remote areas of the Middle Belt such as Benue and Kaduna, where both faiths coexist prominently.
Today, many international crimes committed by Nigerian youths abroad are first cultured and hatched in our worship centers. Many of these youths are indoctrinated to prioritize money over hard work, as numerous churches are centered around miracles of sudden wealth without effort or integrity.
If religion has now become what it is today—worship places turned into ritual sites, centers of extortion and exploitation of the poor, hubs for money laundering, complicity with corrupt politicians, sites for the abuse of women and young girls, and platforms for perfecting evil plots—then something urgent must be done by the government. As a Yoruba adage says: “No one opens their eyes wide for a log to poke into it” (A kii laju si’le, ki kolobo wo nu e).
The entire social media space is now agog with the damage caused by religion, especially in how it affects our youth. Bad indoctrination into the love of money, miracle-obsession, idleness, and fraud continue unchecked in worship centers, simply because the authorities consider religion a sensitive issue. Sadly, the consequences are embedded in our future through tens of millions of innocent youths who are members.
Nigeria is a secular state, and the government has the right to ensure individuals can practice the religion of their choice—while making sure that no institution within the country assumes superiority over the state. In fact, the Christian scriptures in Romans 13:1 say:
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
Therefore, the current government has a mandate to reform many aspects of religion in Nigeria—particularly within the Christian and Islamic faiths. It must introduce moderation to curb the unchecked policies, practices, and principles of religious organizations and foster peaceful coexistence for future generations of Nigerians.
The aim should be to create a responsible system—free of extortion, deception, and financial exploitation—one that works with the government to empower the poor through the values taught in scripture: industry, integrity, and transparency. This way, more citizens can rise above poverty, feel secure, and be part of a Nigeria that attracts global respect, where the diaspora would be proud to return and build a united, strong nation free of hatred and oppression.
The new government, with its team of erudite players, is currently working on several of these reforms—starting more explicitly with the economy, power, petroleum, and infrastructure. Yet, the damage caused by religion continues to pile up—manifesting in economic sabotage, the mental indoctrination of youths, youth crimes centered around the love of money, and rejection of government policies. Something urgent must be done before this growing evil becomes an international stigma that threatens Nigeria’s stability, unity, and peace—making it appear lawless.
The current fracas among Pentecostal leaders, made global on social media, reveals deep contradictions in doctrines, standards, and a complete absence of a responsible central authority to moderate them. In such a worsening situation, if control is not urgently enacted by the government, a greater evil looms—one of uncontrollable magnitude that would affect future generations and may become impossible to reverse.
Today, we hear of “miracle money,” international migration without visas, sales of oils, miracle keys, and handkerchiefs promising quick wealth, alongside fake prophecies and testimonies that mislead the public. Then there is the exploitation of confused and gullible citizens, who are daily defrauded through religious gimmicks and heresies promising blessings that never materialize.
Sadly, many of these trends include senior faith leaders—who should be role models—yet are found writing books full of heresies, placing their members under the bondage of fear and guilt to extort them financially, leaving no room for alternative survival. Religion has become evil.
To curb this trend, we must first understand its scope and magnitude. The control measures needed should go beyond setting term limits for religious leaders. A more robust approach would involve creating teams of experts from both religious and secular backgrounds to participate in religious conferences and forums across different faiths.
These groups would review activities of religious institutions, including their curriculum, mission and vision, modes of service, doctrines, publications, and practices. Their goal would be to align teachings with the core tenets of the Bible and the Quran. Financial records—income and expenditure—must also be scrutinized and regulated to ensure transparency and sanity.
In any normal situation, the curriculum of any organization should reflect its foundational principles. For Christianity, that foundation is Jesus Christ; for Islam, it is Prophet Muhammad. Therefore, a church’s curriculum should reflect the Bible’s teachings.
Experts in scripture should develop a standardized curriculum that all church leaders must follow if they wish to establish a worship center. The government must then monitor these activities—especially financial ones—through its agencies, without fear or favor, as finances are at the heart of many religious inconsistencies and crimes.
Religion should now focus more on humanity and its realities, and less on spiritual rituals. The emphasis must shift from money-driven miracles to teachings about character, responsibility, and integrity.
God’s words in scripture center on love, peace, and truth. Christianity preaches love. Islam preaches peace. Traditional religions preach truth. Each doctrine should be limited to these ethical codes.
The government’s regulatory body must ensure that any worship center being established upholds these values—not wealth, fame, or power. All holy books affirm that God does not call only a select few, but calls everyone to repentance and good character, to lift others up and support the less privileged.
Religion should be a partner to government efforts, helping to achieve justice and equity through the fear and knowledge of God.
