Governor Umar Bago of Niger State is defending a new, highly controversial regulation requiring preachers to submit their sermons for government approval before they can be delivered.
In an interview on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, Governor Bago insisted the policy is a necessary step to prevent messages that could incite unrest or undermine the government. He said the measure is not a ban on preaching but a form of regulation.
“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,” Bago said. “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.”
The governor added that the policy is a security measure and that his administration is working with the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to review the sermons.
The new directive has been met with a mix of support and strong opposition from religious leaders in the state.
The Director General of Niger State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, confirmed that preachers have two months to obtain a license. “Any preacher who wants to preach must secure a licence between now and the next two months,” he stated.
However, the Chief Imam of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Bashir Yankuzo, said that while the government can and should address preachers who cause security threats, it cannot dictate what is preached. “The government cannot dictate who to preach to and who not to preach,” he said.
This sentiment was echoed by Islamic scholar Uthman Siraja, who called the ban a clear “infringement of freedom of worship and religion.” Siraja suggested that the government should penalize specific preachers who incite the public rather than imposing a blanket policy on all religious leaders.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, through its secretary Raphael Opawoye, said it had not been officially informed of the new regulation and would release a statement once it had more details.
