PROBING THE DECLINING SIGNIFICANCE OF GOVERNMENT AND PHILANTHROPY IN NIGERIA: RELIGION AS A REFUGE?

Religion plays a huge role in many societies around the world and this is especially true in Nigeria. Many of the religious groups in the country are united by their critique of the failure of the Nigerian Federal and State governments to deliver welfare to citizens. Thus, as good governance continues to be found lacking by the majority of Nigerians and in the face of the weakness of the Nigerian state and the inefficiency of its institutions to provide the human good to its citizens, religious organizations now provide a range of social services for their numerous members all over the country. How do wealthy Nigerians give and what is their motivation? Is traditional African philanthropic gesture (communalism) fading away in Nigeria? This essay is therefore, concerned primarily with the intervention of religious organisations in meeting the spiritual and physical needs of many Nigerian citizens - disenchanted and frustrated as a result of government failure. It examines how religion has become a sanctuary of hope and refuge in the face of daunting socio-economic challenges and how, ironically, this pathetic human condition is being exploited by some religious leaders. It also probes into the state of dwindling philanthropy by individuals and corporate bodies in the country within the context of African communalism.