Nigerian Economy in The Throes of Politics and Religion
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31958/proceedingsoficresh.v4i.137Keywords:
Religion, Politics, IslamAbstract
Nigeria’s population in 2025 is estimated to be approximately 237.5 million, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA, 2025), making her the most populous country in Africa. The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected at $2.573 trillion, maintaining its position as the continent’s largest economy. When the country gained independence in 1960, it has a sharing hope of achieving a qualitative economy development and even structural transformation. Sooner than later, it started experiencing period of boom and bust. Unfortunately, the economy was later brought down to her knees, struggling from all ends to come up again. The challenges that affected Nigeria economy are not far-fetched, they stem from religio-political conflicts which were manifested through the Boko-Haram and ISWAP insurgency in the north-east, banditry and kidnappings in the north-west and the farmer-header clashes in the middle belt of Nigeria. The Nigeria economy is intricately linked with the country’s politics and religion which have significantly influenced its development trajectory. The Country has a north/south dichotomy and the religion rivalry between the two dominant religions, thereby resulting into shaping the political dynamics of the country negatively at the expense of economic productivity and citizen welfare. This paper explores the complex dynamics between politics, religion and the economy in Nigeria, how these factors intersect to shape the country’s growth and development. This work aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between religion and politics viz-a-viz the socio-economic growth of the country.
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