RELIGION TURNEDOBSOLESCENT IN NIGERIA: REVERT TOI-SUUMNGIINDIGENOUS RESOURCEFORLIFE-AFFIRMING SOCIETY

Abstract

Traditionally, religion used to be a sign of hope to society; however, given the prevailing rate of insecurity and its attending societal challenges in Nigeria, one cannot deny that religionhas expired and stopped playing its traditional role in the country.Instead of engendering life, religion has become a cause of death and sorrow in Nigeria. Thus, this paper focused on the need to revert to African indigenous resources as alternative for peaceful co-existence. The problem that motivated this paper is abouthow religion, which preaches peace and harmony in the society and promises blissful life in the hereafter, couldturn violentand deadly to life in Nigeria. What has gone wrong withthe tenets and adherents of religions in Nigeria?Addressing the above problem, the paper seeks to respond to theundergirding question: Are thereAfrican indigenous resources that could better serve as alternativeto religion in order to engender peaceful co-existence in Nigeria?This papercontests and calls into question the functionalist conception of religion asan integrative force in society. Through systematic review of related literature, the researcher has found thatconstructive African indigenous resources abound, which have life-giving potential to replace obsolescent religion in Nigeria. Being aware of the prolific work already done by scholars on the destructive role of religion in Nigeria; this paper departs by postulating an alternative African indigenous resource for achievingpeaceful Nigerian society. This postulation of an alternative resources is justified by the fact that Africans find more life in their worldviews than in any foreign ideology or religion.