Nigeria, a country blessed by Almighty God, is made up of many parts. All of these parts are associated with one form of religion or another. However, there are two prominent religions that are practiced by most of the country’s population: Christianity and Islam. For obvious reasons, these religions have been struggling to maintain a position of leadership or superiority over the others.

The government at the center has always been watching the religious drama as it unfolds on a daily basis. Most leaders have often been tempted to take sides with ugly developments and thus get their hands dirty in the murky waters of religious extremism. In places where Christians are in the majority, Muslims protest, claiming marginalization, and the same is true in places where Muslims are in the majority. In such areas, presenting yourself as a member of one religion where the other is in the majority is, to say the least, creating animosity.

In situations as bad as this, the central government is expected to remain a neutral and impartial arbiter in matters of this nature. A perfect example is the seizure of all Christian (Mission) schools by the Federal Republic of Nigeria years ago. It should be noted that the Federal Government of Nigeria acted in accordance with true “federalism”, despite the nature of these schools. Nationals who do not subscribe to the Christian religion will be free to acquire Western education without breeding religious jealousy. Although, without apologizing, it should be noted that the Federal Government of Nigeria acted in the interest of national unity to create an environment where Muslims and Christians feel free in a pluralistic society, attend the same school and interact socially, without being malign .

The ongoing debate over the government’s introduction of the “Islamic Banking System”, which has already put the two religions (Christianity and Islam) at odds, is a subject that draws public attention. The Nigerian banking sector, which has been undergoing innumerable reform policies of late, which are carefully initiated and carried out in its leadership position, has not witnessed the kind of enthusiasm this new reform is generating.

Right-thinking Nigerians remain preoccupied with the issue because of the power of religion to create division. The planned introduction of the Islamic banking model into the Nigerian financial landscape is one of the issues that has raised so much dust as a result of the term “Islamic” being attached to the name. The things that happen in this country on a daily basis have made the advocates of a single and indivisible nation under the name of “Nigeria” have to rethink. As a result, there is a debate on the issue of “nomenclature” whether or not the proposed interest-free banking should retain the name “Islamic Banking.” Pundits have said the term “Islamic banking” will only fan the fires of mutual mistrust in a peculiarly religiously sensitive environment like Nigeria. It is also seen that adopting the controversial name will be a serious violation of the secular status of the nation.

The ongoing debate that has actually generated so many problems. Christians, on the one hand, accuse Muslims of enjoying cheap popularity by allowing the government to set Islam above and against other religions in the country, especially in its alleged attempt to Islamize Nigeria (see Daily Trust, Monday, July 4, 2011, page 30 and Thursday, July 7, 2011, pages 26-27). Muslims, on the other hand, accuse Christians of being ignorant and at the same time deviating from true Christianity, if they agree with the current Nigerian banking system that promotes extortion.

Debunking claims by Christians that “Islamic banking” is a way to Islamize Nigeria, Muslims claim that their voices have not been heard over the years in Nigerian government activities, especially in policy making, because according to them, the Nigerian government has been operating on English Christian laws. The question that most Nigerians have not stopped asking as a result of this unsubstantiated claim is: “When were English laws translated into Christian laws?” English laws, as we know, arose as a result of British colonization of Nigeria, not religious (Christian) imposition. It should be noted here that Christians in Nigeria are not comfortable with everything in the Nigerian Constitution because there are many things in the law that go against Christian ethics. In other words, Christians and Muslims must learn to adapt to the majority of the Nigerian nation and desist from unwarranted statements that could cause chaos. Everyone (regardless of tribe or religion) is needed to build a united Nigeria. Christians and Muslims are expected to live in peace with each other. Every good invention or discovery to advance the nation is highly appreciated. When one party discovers a thing, the other parties benefit without enslaving future parties.

The claim that the concept of “Islamic banking” is ominous is an understatement, because it is not really in the national interest. A critical look at the nomenclature tells us that Islam gets the credit for banking reform in Nigeria even when all the people working day and night to build a strong banking system are non-Muslims. As a person, I have always liked people to start good projects and programs that will not only unite Nigeria, but help it to go to the next level. This “interest free” banking system championed by the leadership of Nigeria’s main bank is a welcome idea, but the religious overtone is not appropriate. In other words, the lead bank must develop a culture of listening where the contributions of people are valued in the way it runs the business of the banking sector. This will kill the idea of ​​one part of the country standing tall over another by having their names written in gold, even though the hand holding the pen and paper belongs to another part.

However, the idea of ​​one’s voice not being heard in a nation like Nigeria suggests selfishness. Nigeria belongs to all of us and contributing to its growth must always be a collective effort. This is why removing the religious color from this banking system will go a long way in protecting it against any form of discrimination as the main bank’s approach is a poor display of sensitivity towards Nigerian unity. The government should, as a matter of urgency, suspend the action of the main bank until a compromise is reached, since the idea of ​​an “Islamic bank” for a country like Nigeria is capable of pitting one religion against another. Also, having studied the issue at hand, the government, as well as the main bank, should consider the following as a way out:

1. A better, but unifying nomenclature should be adopted, and the concept of “Islamic banking” should be abandoned, as it is capable of overheating the already charged political and religious atmosphere of the country. It will also help unite all the different religious groups without creating jealousy or religious disputes.

2. New banks should be established that fully carry out the Islamic Banking System. This will create the necessary difference with the already existing system of banking operations in Nigeria. This idea is also healthy because it will give rise to competition and improve banking options for customers.

3. The government should create space for religious organizations to participate in the banking sector by owning and managing banks according to their own tastes and standards. This will help create an enabling environment for those who cloak a country to defend or promote the course of a particular religion to have a level playing field that will expose their expertise in handling financial affairs.

4. If the establishment of new banks is not possible at this time, existing banks will have the option of choosing between the current banking system and the proposed “interest-free banking” system. This will alleviate the fear of imposing a particular religion on the right thinking and free citizens of Nigeria.

Nigerians need to understand that the nationality of this country is not based on any particular ethnic or religious group, therefore learning to accommodate one another means that matters of national interest must always be weighed against the odds before adopting or implementing them. . However, the accusations and counter-accusations of these religious bodies must be set aside because they are truly unhealthy for our cooperative existence. Nigeria belongs neither only to Christians nor only to Muslims. Let’s learn to love, care for and accommodate each other. God bless Nigeria!