African Traditional Religion, Secularism and the Nigerian Nation

Abstract

African Traditional Religion is the indigenous religion of the Africans. The religion that has existed before the advent of other foreign religions and western civilization which came with secularism as an umbrella that shades politics, religions, education, urbanization, colonization and others. These features of western civilization were imposed upon Africans and their Traditional Religion. Secularism is the transformation of a society from close religious value identification towards non-religious values and secular organizations. Hence, the presence of the known old cultures and practices in contemporary African Traditional Religion and practices are seriously fading away as well as the presence of elements of traditionalism in contemporary African society. This first reduces the authority of the traditional priest who happened to be the custodians of revealed knowledge, as the responsibility for education has moved from the family and community to the state. Two consequences have arisen, collective conscience is diminished and fragmentation of communal activities which leads to traditional religion becoming more of a choice thing rather than observed social obligations. Nigeria is a heterogeneous state with different groups practicing diverse religion. Religion has been a dominant factor in Nigerian politics especially in this post-independence era. In whichever way one sees religion, the fact cannot be denied of its interaction with politics in Nigeria. The work attempt to examine the concept of secularism, secularism in Africa, secularism and the Nigerian nation, the place of religion in Nigerian nation and the biasness of Nigerian nation against African Traditional Religion.