Nigerian STATE introduces Preaching License: Accountability or Control?
The Niger State government has announced that henceforth, no individual can engage in religious preaching without first securing a government-issued license. A directive like this may appear to some as a necessary response to insecurity and hate-filled sermons that have caused division in our communities. Yet, when examined closely, it opens a much darker door—one where government control over religion can quickly become a tool for manipulation.
The License Question: Who Decides?
If preaching is now subject to licensing, who defines the criteria? Who sits on the panel to decide what can be preached and what cannot? These are not trivial questions. Religion is a deeply spiritual matter, one that transcends state bureaucracy. Yet, with this move, the government has positioned itself as the gatekeeper of faith.
When officials dictate the conditions for religious expression, they are not merely regulating; they are deciding which messages can flourish and which voices must be silenced. The risk here is not abstract—it is real. Today, the criteria might be about stopping incitement. Tomorrow, it could be about silencing opposition voices, or reshaping entire doctrines to align with the interests of those in power.
Manipulating Religion as a Tool of Control
History shows that regimes, once given the power to regulate religion, rarely stop at protecting peace. They often go further, bending the pulpit into a mouthpiece for state propaganda. Instead of curbing bigotry, such policies may grant politicians the power to determine who is “qualified” to preach, turning religion into a tool for state endorsement and public manipulation.
This is not a safeguard against extremism—it is the seedbed of authoritarianism. And if left unchecked, it risks transforming religion from a force of truth and morality into an arm of political strategy.
Freedom of Expression vs. State Regulation
The essence of free speech, including in matters of religion, is that people must be accountable for their words, not pre-filtered by a licensing authority. We already have laws against incitement, violence, and terrorism—these should be enforced against offenders, not used as an excuse to place entire faith communities under surveillance.
When the state decides who can or cannot preach, freedom of expression becomes conditional. This weakens society, because ideas—whether good or dangerous—must be tested in open debate, not in the offices of a government panel.
Echoes of Prophecy: Antichrist and Dajjal
For many believers, this directive rings with a deeper spiritual warning. Prophetic traditions speak of the Antichrist (Dajjal) as one who manipulates truth, distorts religion, and compels humanity to follow false authority. By regulating who can speak in the name of God, the government risks setting a precedent that mirrors this ideology.
The power to decide who is allowed to preach truth from the pulpit and who is banned resembles the very system of control the Antichrist is said to enforce—a system where spiritual freedom is surrendered to earthly authority. This is why such policies must be seen not only as political overreach but as spiritual danger.
The Way Forward
Nigeria does not need a religious licensing regime. What Nigeria needs is accountability. Those who incite violence must be prosecuted under existing laws. Those who spread hate must be held to account. But freedom of religious speech must be preserved—because once surrendered, it is rarely regained.
This move by the Niger State government is not just a matter of policy; it is a test of our collective commitment to liberty. Religion must remain free, beyond the manipulations of politics. Any other path only strengthens the shadows of control—shadows that too closely resemble the prophesied reign of deception.
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