Religious Pluralism and the Challenge of Democracy in Nigeria 1999 – 2018

Abstract

Religious pluralism generally refers to the belief in two or more religious worldviews as being equally valid or acceptable. More than mere tolerance, religious pluralism accepts multiple paths to God or gods as a possibility and is usually contrasted with “exclusivism,” the idea that there is only one true religion or way to know God. Nigeria’s vast heterogeneity, specifically its ethnic and religious diversity, remains an abiding source of her societal tensions and political instability. This paper discusses how religious pluralism has affected the democracy in Nigeria since 1999 to 2018.The research methodology is a historical/descriptive research design. The nature and sources of data collection are secondary. The methods of secondary data collection are published and unpublished content or documentary analysis and textual analysis. The finding of the shows that the reason for this pluralism and diversities in religion is linked to the division and subsequent amalgamation of the entity that became Nigeria from her colonial masters. With this amalgamation, different colonies were brought together to form Nigeria; this strange bedfellows came with their different religions, belief systems, cultures, languages, and institutions. Conclusively, the paper believes that the religious pluralism in Nigeria has rather divided us than united as a country especially in our democratic experience.