By Adah Abah Sunday & Mahdi Waziri Isa
The Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) has organized a two-day national seminar in Abuja, bringing together Deans of Law Faculties from across Nigeria to discuss the intersection of law and religion.
Nigeria, a nation with over 250 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages, faces unique challenges in balancing religious diversity with national cohesion. The seminar’s focus on law and religion studies is particularly relevant, given Nigeria’s strategic position in West Africa and its influence on regional stability.
Prof. Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, Director General of NIALS, emphasized the importance of understanding the critical intersection of law and religion. He highlighted the objectives of the seminar, including fostering respectful understanding, improving expertise, contributing to law reform processes, tracking and sharing trends of case law, and assisting law faculties with a draft curriculum.
The seminar aims to integrate law and religion studies within Nigeria’s legal system, which is based on a combination of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law. Nigeria’s population is projected to surpass 400 million by 2050, making it one of the most populous countries in the world.
Hajiya Aisha Abdulkafir Muhammad, Vice Chancellor of Al-Muhibbah Open University, stressed the need for comprehensive understanding of law and religion to foster national cohesion. The country has experienced several religious conflicts, including the Boko Haram insurgency, which has displaced millions and killed thousands.
Brett G. Scharffs, Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies, delivered the keynote address, highlighting Nigeria’s unique opportunity to develop better legal and social mechanisms for addressing religious conflicts and promoting religious freedom.
Scharffs expressed optimism about the potential for national transformation in law and religion studies in Nigeria. He acknowledged the pioneering work of Nigerian scholars in developing a curriculum for teaching law and religion, which covers various topics, including constitutional law, human rights frameworks, and religion in public life.
The seminar seeks to initiate national transformation in law and religion studies in Nigeria, with a focus on developing and utilizing a curriculum for teaching law and religion in Nigerian universities. Scholars in Nigeria have already done pioneering work in developing and utilizing a curriculum for teaching law and religion, which focuses on many important topics.
The NIALS’ 2-Day National Seminar which ends today was organized in collaboration with the trio of Bauchi State University, Gadau, Al-Muhibbah Open University, Abuja, and University of Ilorin with support from the Centre for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University UTAH, USA.