Religion: An Instrument for Enhancing National Security and Harmonious Existence in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper titled: religion as an instrument for enhancing national security and harmonious coexistence in Nigeria is timely because one of the national aspiration of Nigerians and the international community since our independence in 1960 is that religion as experienced or demonstrated in some nations of Europe, Asia and America should be an instrument of national security and vehicle of peace that triggers meaningful development. But at the contrary, “Religion” in Nigeria has become the main instrument of national security threats and actor of disintegration. Using the library and oral sources methodologies in a qualitative and themes analysis, the paper aim at adding to existing literature and motivating further researches by examining after the conceptual clarification of key terms. The nature of the Nigerian state; the synergy between religion, national security and harmonious co-existence in Nigeria; national security and religious threats; the expected roles of religions in promoting national security and co-existence in Nigeria using the three theories of religion namely Evolutionary, Marxist and functional and harmonious co-existence of the ethnic nationalist in Nigeria can be realized.

Theories, it reveals seven dimension human security threats in Nigeria. It also envisaged the Nigeria security and religious activities in the future, then a workable recommendation and finally a conclusion in which we adduced that the welfare of the individuals should henceforth be the concern of the government, religious organizations, corporate organizations and the international community if the expected national security.

Keywords: Religion, National Security, Harmonious co-existence, Enhancement, Nigeria.