Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has found himself defending a new policy that requires religious leaders to submit their sermons for government approval before preaching.
The move has sparked heated debate about religious freedom and government overreach.
The governor insists his administration isn’t trying to silence religious voices.
Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, Bago explained that the policy simply aims to prevent inflammatory messages that could divide communities.
“I didn’t ban evangelism,” the governor stressed.
“For everyone going to preach on Friday, he should bring his scriptures for review, and it’s normal. Even in Saudi Arabia, this is done.”
Bago’s comparison to Saudi Arabia’s strict religious controls has raised eyebrows, particularly given Nigeria’s constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.
The governor argues that some preachers abuse their platforms to spread messages that are “anti-people” and “anti-government.”
The policy came to light earlier this month when Umar Farooq, Director General of Niger State Religious Affairs, announced that preachers must obtain licenses within two months.
The process involves visiting government offices, filling out forms, and facing a screening panel before being allowed to preach.
“Any preacher who wants to preach must secure a licence between now and the next two months,” Farooq had announced, adding that they would need to complete the bureaucratic process before delivering sermons.
However, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State claims they were blindsided by the announcement.
Secretary Raphael Opawoye said the organization hadn’t been officially informed and would issue a statement once they received proper notification.
The policy has drawn sharp criticism from religious scholars across denominational lines.
Islamic scholar Uthman Siraja called it a clear violation of fundamental rights, arguing that the government should focus on addressing problematic content after the fact rather than censoring messages beforehand.
“The ban on preaching is an infringement of freedom of worship and religion,” Siraja argued.
“The best thing for the government to do is to invite and penalise any preacher who incites the public in the course of his preaching.”
Governor Bago revealed that his administration is working closely with security agencies, including the DSS, Police, NSCDC, and military, to monitor compliance with the new regulations.
He acknowledged that concerns about religious indoctrination partly motivated the policy.
