Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online) Vol.3, No.18, 2013 45 Religion in Nigeria from 1900-2013 Rimamsikwe Habila Kitause 1* Hilary Chukwuka Achunike 2 1. Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria 2. Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria *kittyrh1966@gmail.com Abstract The phenomenon of religion is assuming an alarming proportion in the 21 st century with the three Nigerian cardinal religions competing for pre-eminence and supremacy as seen in the religious behaviours of the various religious adherents in Nigeria. The article is crafted using phenomenological and historical analytical method. It unravels the fact that there is at the moment a very bright prospect for the survival of African Traditional Religion, Islam and Christianity in Nigeria in spite of the rising tide of fundamentalism in the Nigerian recognizable religions. This is anchored on the fact that there are still some compromises among the major religions in Nigeria. The paper submits that it is needful that all the spirited stake holders of the various religions in Nigeria create an avenue for meaningful dialogue in order to checkmate the monster of religious intolerance, insensitivity, self will, and fanaticism to paving way for peaceful coexistence and sustainable national development in Nigeria. Keywords: Religion, Christianity, Islam, Nigeria, African Traditional Religion 1. Introduction Religion is an important phenomenon in contemporary Nigeria. It is ever popular and has captured the attention of many Nigerians. Its activities have predominated man’s life. Religion has been and is increasingly coming to the fore front in modern scholarship. It is equally a subject for discussion in the daily newspapers, magazines, radio and television. Most Nigerians appear to be interested in religion for its immense benefits. From all indications, Nigeria is a pluralistic society. By this, it is meant that Nigeria is a country where different religious adherents coexist and mix freely to carry out their day-to-day activity (Hackett & Olupona (n.d.). There are basically three major religions in Nigeria. These include: Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion (ATR). Beside these, other religions exist in Nigeria like Hinduism, Bahai, Judaism, The Grail Message, and The Reformed Ogboni Fraternity but are practiced by either foreigners or negligible few Nigerians (Macquarrie 1971; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/religion_in_Nigeria). The questions now arise: How have religions fared in Nigeria since their inception? How are they co-existing, influencing and impinging on each other as well as the entire Nigerian society? What exactly is religion showcasing in Nigeria ever since its emergence? This paper is a humble attempt to examine these issues. The paper employs phenomenological and historical analytical method so as to be able to examine religion as a phenomenon because religion itself has existed in and impacted on the Nigerian society for so long now. According to Parratt in Inyama (2007), phenomenological method has three advantages: First, the study begins at the right place (the phenomenon). Secondly, the approach is conductive to clarify in the sense that one knows what one is talking about. Third, the phenomenological moves on a more secure ground because it proceeds by description rather than by deduction (p.9). The phenomenological method generally deals with the true nature of the theme, which in this case is religion, starting from the inside. It is equally held that “The test of a phenomenological description is that the picture given by it is convincing, illuminates other related ideas, makes reality understandable, as they give themselves, without the interference of negative or positive prejudices and interpretations” (Inyama 2007, p.10). The historical method on the other hand helps to trace the origin of the three major religions in Nigeria chronologically. According to Van Derleeuw (1963), there is an affinity between the historical and the phenomenological methods. He reiterates that history goes with phenomenology just as the phenomenologist works with historical materials. Be that as it may, it is concluded that “The historian and the phenomenologist, therefore, work in the closest possible association; they are indeed in the majority of cases combined in the person of a single investigator” (Van Derleeuw 1963, p. 686). This research first and foremost tries to answer the question: What is religion? 2. Meaning of Religion Religion is said to be a reality in human experience which pervades through life. It describes the way man relates with the Supernatural world or the Divine Being. This relationship finds expression in beliefs, worships, creeds and symbols (Uka 1990).