RELIGION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

The level of development of a country is affected by many factors. Economists tend to emphasize the impact of economic variables however; political and social factors can also be very important determinant of national development. This paper therefore examined the influence of religion on the development of Nigeria. Theories such as ‘the philosophical theory of religion as a theory of terrorism’ and ‘protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism’ were used to clearly explain the influence of religion on national development. In sum, it was noted that the relationship between religion and development is likely to be complementary as long as religious beliefs and practices promote ‘moderation’ rather than ‘extremes’