– A book titled ‘Religion and the Making of Nigeria’ was launched yesterday, January 12
– The book is authored by Professor Olufemi Vaughan
– Vaughan is a senior editor of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia in African history
A book titled ‘Religion and the Making of Nigeria’ was launched yesterday, January 12 at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua center in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The book is authored by Professor Olufemi Vaughan, who is currently the Geoffrey Canada professor of Africana Studies and History at Bowdoin College, Maine.
Professor Vaughan and his sister, Ambassador Ibironke Adefowope at the event
Vaughan is also a senior editor of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia in African History and co-editor of the Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Nigeria.
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In his address to the audience, Vaughan stated that the book is a deep scholarly inquiry into the structural basis of the crisis of religion in Nigeria’s body politic.
He said: ”Like most of my research project on the challenge of governance in African states, I started off with a question that was very much in the present but soon found myself embarking on a project where enduring structures rooted in the past consistently reverberated to shake the rapidly changing conditions of contemporary Nigerian society.”
Chief Host, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw giving his speech before unveiling the book titled ‘Religion and the Making of Nigeria’ as others look on
He said writing the book to him to a long historical analysis of social structures, power
The Ibadan-born professor also said he worked hard to ensure that the book appeals to a broad audience, unlike his previous works that were usually scholarly.
Present at the book launch was Vice President; Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Nobel Laureate; Professor Wole Soyinka, Former governor of Cross River state, Mr Donald Duke and Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw.
Vice President Osinbajo unveiling the book titled ‘Religion and the Making of Nigeria’
Also present were Bishop of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese; Bishop Matthew Kukah, Secretary to the Oyo state government, Mr Olalekan Alli who represented the state governor and Dr Tukur Ingawa.
In his speech, Vice President Osinbajo opined that it is the elite manipulation of religion that has led to the various conflicts that Nigeria has experienced.
His words: ”The Nigerian elite will choose when it is convenient to use religion for advancement, or ethnicity or some other form of identification.”
Osinbajo also called for the prosecution of those indicted and arrested for religious violence, even as he canvassed for strengthening existing laws so those apprehended won’t get away easily.
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