Religion and the Making of Nigeria

333 Pages·2016·19.97 MB·English

by  Olufemi Vaughan

religion
and
the making of
nigeria
religious cultures of african and african diaspora p eople
series editors. Jacob K. Olupona, Harvard University
Dianne M. Stewart, Emory University and Terrence L. Johnson, Haverford College
The book series examines the religious, cultural, and po liti cal expressions of African, African
American, and African Ca rib bean traditions. Through transnational, cross- cultural, and
multidisciplinary approaches to the study of religion, the series investigates the epistemic
bound aries of continental and diasporic religious practices and thought and explores the
diverse and distinct ways African- derived religions inform culture and politics. The series
aims to establish a forum for imagining the centrality of black religions in the formation of
the “New World.”
religion
and
the making of
nigeria
olufemi vaughan
Duke University Press Durham and London 2016
© 2016 Duke University Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of Amer i ca on acid- free paper ∞
Designed by Courtney Leigh Baker
Typeset in Garamond Premier Pro by Westchester Publishing Services
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Vaughan, Olufemi, [date] author.
Title: Religion and the making of Nigeria / Olufemi Vaughan.
Other titles: Religious cultures of African and African diaspora people.
Description: Durham : Duke University Press, 2016. | Series: Religious cultures of African
and African diaspora people | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: lccn 2016021449 (print)
lccn 2016023797 (ebook)
isbn 9780822362067 (hardcover : alk. paper)
isbn 9780822362272 (pbk. : alk. paper)
isbn 9780822373872 (e book)
Subjects: lcsh: Religion and state— Nigeria. | Church and state— Nigeria— History. |
Islam and state— Nigeria— History. | Po liti cal culture— Nigeria—R eligious aspects.
Classification: lcc bl65. s8 v38 2016 (print) | lcc bl65.s8 (ebook) | ddc 322/.109669— dc23
lc rec ord available at https:// lccn . loc . gov / 2016021449
Cover art: Stephen Folaranmi, Tolerance, 2016. This work depicts a cross, a crescent and
star, and an Opon Ifa (Yoruba Ifa divination plate).
Duke University Press gratefully acknowledges the support of Bowdoin College, Office of
the Dean, which provided funds toward the publication of this book.
in memoriam: Gladys Aduke Vaughan
(Otun- Iyalode, Ibadan), 1920–2014
This page intentionally left blank
contents
Acknowledgments
ix
Introduction
1
one. Islam and Chris tian ity in the
Making of Modern Nigeria
13
two. Islam and Colonial Rule
in Northern Nigeria
39
three. Chris tian ity and the Transformation of
Colonial Southern and Northern Nigeria
69
four. The Politics of Religion in
Northern Nigeria during Decolonization
89
five. Religion and the Postcolonial State
112
six. Religious Revival and the State:
The Rise of Pentecostalism
139
seven. Expanded Sharia:
The Northern Ummah and the Fourth Republic
158
eight. Expanded Sharia:
Res is tance, Viol ence, and Reconciliation
181
nine. Sharia Politics, Obasanjo’s pdp
Federal Government, and the 1999 Constitution
199
Conclusion
223
Notes
233
Bibliography
273
Index
295
acknowl edgments
I have accumulated considerable debt to many friends and colleagues during
the years this book was in the making. I am grateful to t hese wonderful people
for their support and kindness. Zach Warner and I had many interactions on
conceptual and contextual questions that undergird the entangled histories
of Chris tian ity, Islam, indigenous religious beliefs, and the Nigerian state. A
generous and excellent scholar, Zach provided insightful critiques and ideas
that enhanced the overall quality of the book. I am grateful to Zach for his un-
flinching commitment to the objectives of this book. During the initial stages
of the book’s research, I benefited from the support of several young friends
who worked as my research assistants. Rory Brinkman, Suraiya Zubair Banu,
Tony Perry, Tyler Silver, Renee Velkoff, and Sarah Watts worked with me to
analyze extensive archival materials, many documents of religious institutions,
and piles of newspaper reports. I am grateful to Rory, Tony, Tyler, Renee,
Suraiya, and Sarah for their assistance and support. Discussions with many
friends in several humanistic social science disciplines informed an essential
cross- disciplinary perspective that, I believe, gave this book greater scope and
depth. Some of t hese friends read the finished work and offered insightful cri-
tiques: my special thanks to Wale Adebanwi, Niyi Afolabi, Okon Akiba, A. B.
Assensoh, Peniel Joseph, Insa Nolte, Ebenezer Obadare, Deji Ogunnike, Funke
Okome, Joel Rosenthal, Samuel Zalanga, and Nimi Wariboko. I am grateful
to Patty McCarthy for providing excellent editorial assistance. Patty is a pa-
tient and thoughtful editor who reminded me that a book of this nature must
not only speak to scholars in the field, but must also be accessible to students,
policy makers, and intelligent lay learners who are willing to wade through the
muddled waters of religion and state making in Nigeria. And to Eileen John-
son, I express my gratitude for the excellent maps contained in this book. 
The scholarship on religion and society in Nigeria is authoritative in African
studies. As a student of Nigerian history and politics, I benefited enormously
from the stellar works of many scholars in this impor tant field. While my cita-
tion will show the extent of my intellectual debts, I would like to acknowledge