The Role of Islam in the National Development: The Nigerian Context

Abstract

Nigeria is a multi-religious society with Islam, Christianity and African Traditional Religion being the most popular religions. The two most influential of them are Islam and Christianity. They interact with each other in educational institutions, markets, means of transportation, and a host of other places. Therefore, the aim of this study is to find out the position of Islam in the different segments of Nigeria and its relevance to the different stages of development of the country. The research work is historical and analytical in nature. A narrative method will be adopted for the study. The paper examines the conceptual clarifications of important terms, impediments to national development and Islamic solutions to them. The write-up reveals that Muslims are important factors in the development of Nigeria. The paper is concluded with a variety of suggestions, among which there should be no division of any kind to pave the way for rapid national development in the country.