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Islam is the largest religion in Nigeria with the country also having the largest Muslim population in Africa. [1] In 2018, the CIA World Factbook estimated that 53.5% of Nigeria's population is Muslim. [2] Islam is predominantly concentrated in the northern half of the country, with a significant Muslim minority existing in the southern region ...
The Middle Belt of Nigeria contains most of the minority ethnic groups in Nigeria and they are mostly Christians and Christian converts, as well as members of traditional religions with few Muslim converts. [13] [14] Nigeria is officially a secular state with no official state religion.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation founded in 1969 has 57 members, 56 of which are also member states of the United Nations, with 48 countries having a Muslim majority. Some member countries, especially in West Africa and South America , such as Ivory Coast , Guyana , Gabon , Mozambique , Nigeria , Suriname , Togo and Uganda – though ...
However, secularism in Nigeria faces many challenges from various sources and factors, such as: Constitutional ambiguity: The Nigerian Constitution contains contradictory provisions on secularism and religion. [45] On one hand, it declares that Nigeria is a secular state and that no government or state shall adopt any religion as state religion.
It is also being used in Lagos State, Oyo State, Kwara State, Ogun State, and Osun State by Muslims. Muslim penal codes are not the same in every state and they differentiate in punishment and offences according to religious affiliation (for example, alcohol consumption and distribution).
Nigeria is home to Africa's largest Muslim population. In 1999, Nigeria's northern states adopted the Sharia penal code, but punishments have been rare. In fact, dozens of women convicted of adultery and sentenced to stoning to death have later been freed.
To promote Islamic virtue and discourage vice, each of the twelve states has a Hisbah group, but each of these hisbah is "unique". [2] For example, as of 2016: "Kano and Zamfara hisbah have their foundations in state law", "have a legally sanctioned board or commission with state-wide powers", and get state funding to pay the salaries of "thousands of people".
Religious violence in Nigeria refers to Christian-Muslim strife in modern Nigeria, which can be traced back to 1953. Today, religious violence in Nigeria is dominated by the Boko Haram insurgency , which aims to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria. [ 50 ]