By Eshiorameh Sebastian
The government of Niger State has announced that all preachers must now submit their sermons for official approval before they can be delivered.
Governor Umar Bago confirmed the new rule during an interview on the programme Politics on Sunday on TVC television. The policy is part of a law to regulate religious preaching in the state. He stated that clerics must present their planned teachings for review, particularly before Friday sermons.
“I didn’t ban evangelism,” the governor said during the Sunday interview. “For everyone going to sermon on Friday, he should bring his scriptures for review, and it’s normal. Even in Saudi Arabia, this is done.”
He explained that the measure is intended to prevent inflammatory preaching. “We cannot say because you have been given the opportunity to be a cleric, you will go out and preach the gospel that is anti-people, anti-government and you think it’s normal.”
When asked if the policy was motivated by fears of indoctrination, Governor Bago replied, “It’s in that direction. We want to be able to see what they are preaching, hear what they are saying. We are working together with security agencies; the Department of State Services (DSS), the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the military.”
Earlier this month, the Director General of the State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, had stated that preachers would have two months to obtain a licence. “All they need to do is to visit our office, get, and fill out the form. After which, they will have to face a panel that will screen them before they can start preaching,” Farooq said.
The policy has been met with criticism from some religious figures. Islamic scholar Uthman Siraja described it as “an infringement of freedom of worship and religion.”
The Chief Imam of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Bashir Yankuzo, also expressed caution, noting that “preaching is a command” from God, not the government. However, he added that the government could intervene if preachers “cause security threats.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state said it was not officially aware of the ban and would issue a statement once formally informed.
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