Religion and Medicine in the 21st Century Nigeria

The relationship between medicine and religion dates back to biblical times. There are numerous examples of Christ performing healing miracles. Today, it is a common phenomenon found on the door of medical doctors stickers that read, “Doctors care but God heals”. This is a clear admission of the fact that there is a knit relationship between medicine and religion. This is because faith plays a dominant role in the healing process of any illness. Again, in Nigeria several people believe in the efficacy of prayer to solve all their problems including sickness. Hence, we see people trooping out in thousands to attend any miracle healing service for bareness, sickness and all human problems. The reason for this in Nigeria is because, most Nigerians believe in witchcraft and several sicknesses are seen from the spiritual angle and therefore the cure to such illnesses must be obtained spiritually. In this paper therefore, we are going to look at the relationship between medicine and religion in the 21st century Nigeria. In doing this, we will try to locate the place of faith and medicine in the healing process of Nigerians and suggest ways through which the faith-based organizations and health institutions can help promote quality health for all Nigerians SOPHIA: An African Journal of Philosophy Vol. 9 (1) 2006: pp. 56-6