Religion and Sustainable National Development: The Moral Burden of the Church in Nigeria Today

Religion is one of the strongest and most significant phenomena in human experience with influences in the areas of socio-political development, economic and educational progress, interpersonal and international cooperation, mutual dialogue and understanding among people. Development as an encompassing word, also embraces the socio-cultural, economic, political and technological advancement. As a very religious nation, the edifices of Churches and mosques that adorn our streets and neighborhoods, the high tempo prayers that emanate there from, along with the ecstatic religious gatherings seen everywhere, and the display of traditional religious practices, are clear indicators of the value Nigerians place on religion. The nation is equally blessed with an array of human and material endowments. Despite these, she remains on the fringe of development with little advance in domestic and foreign policy frameworks. Studies have identified several factors which explain this dangling and seeming stunted growth. This study adopts the phenomenological and historical approaches, noting that religion is a two-edged sword which can cut either way with serious consequences. It is posited here that for there to be sustainable development, there has to be the profound involvement of the Church based on the Charter of Christ’s mission (Luke 4: 18-19) and the manifest tripartite mission of the Church: upward mission to God, self and the world. This paper recommends the
application of Christian ethics in addressing national concerns through eschewing discrimination, intolerance and fanaticism and imbibing the virtues of service, hard work, entrepreneurship, reorientation, quality scriptural teaching and leadership development.