RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: A PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS

RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: A PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

John Mbiti (1969) asserted that “religion is the strongest element in traditional background, and exerts probably the greatest influence upon the thinking and living of the people concerned.” Mbiti also made another observation that “religion is in  the African’s man whole system ofbeing, as such wherever he is , there also  you must see an element of his religion.Having heard from Mbiti, one cannot but see Africans as highly religious people, but I have come to see that this approach of religiosity by Africans have a negative impact on her. At a point Africa was infected with manna from heaven syndrome, as such he depends on God to do virtually everything for him. To buttress this , I will illustrate with a story,  thus; A certain Nigerian man, sated with his snuff addition, sought to break-off from such. He decide to go for a crusade scheduled for three days, all through his prayer was, “God please take away this snuff box from me”.  On the third day of the crusade the host  pastor overwhelmed by concern asked the man, “sir please where is this snuff box?” Surprising for me , the man answered, “it is in my pocket  pastor.”  It is really ridiculous for such a man to expert God to come from heaven to take away the snuff box from him without him doing it himself and maybe later ask God for the grace to follow up his decision.