Niger State Government Bans Unlicensed Religious Preaching, Orders Two-Month Compliance

The Niger State government has announced a new directive banning all forms of religious preaching within the state without a proper license. The move, which is intended to regulate religious activities, has set off a debate among key religious figures and scholars in the state.

The ban was confirmed by the Director General of the Niger State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, who, in a telephone chat on Thursday, stated that all preachers now have a two-month grace period to comply with the new regulation. “It is true, the State Government has banned preaching. Any preacher who wants to preach must secure a licence between now and the next two months,” he said.

Farooq outlined the process for obtaining the license, which he said is straightforward. “All they need to do is to visit our office, get, and fill out the form. After which, they will have to face a panel that will screen them before they can start preaching,” he explained.

The new policy has been met with a mix of acceptance and condemnation from various religious bodies. The Chief Imam of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Bashir Yankuzo, offered a nuanced perspective. While he believes the government cannot stop preaching, which he described as a “command from God,” he conceded that the government has a right to control those who use their platforms to “cause security threats” or use “abusive words.”

In contrast, the Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, Raphael Opawoye, expressed complete unawareness of the new law. “The Christian Association of Nigeria is not aware of the ban. We shall come up with a statement when we are officially informed,” he stated.

Similarly, other Islamic scholars and community leaders have voiced their opposition. A Minna-based journalist and Islamic scholar, Uthman Siraja, condemned the ban, labeling it an “infringement of freedom of worship and religion.” He suggested that a better approach for the government would be to “invite and penalise any preacher who incites the public in the course of his preaching” rather than a blanket ban. Another scholar, Ustaz Hassan, argued that such a significant law should first pass through the State House of Assembly for proper legislative action before being implemented.