Niger State Government mandates licence for religious preachers

The Niger State Government has prohibited all forms of religious preaching without official authorisation, directing that anyone intending to preach must first obtain a licence.

Confirming the development in a telephone conversation on Thursday, the Director General of the Niger State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, said clerics have a two-month window to secure the required licence.

“It is true, the State Government has banned preaching without approval. Any preacher who intends to preach must apply for a licence between now and the next two months. All they need to do is visit our office, obtain and complete a form, after which they will face a screening panel before being cleared to preach,” Farooq explained.

Reacting to the directive, the Chief Imam of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Bashir Yankuzo, said the government cannot entirely stop religious preaching.

“In my view, preaching is a divine command. Government is not paying anyone for doing this; people preach to seek God’s pleasure. So, the government cannot decide who should or should not preach. However, if preaching is used to incite unrest or promote abusive language, then government intervention is justified to maintain peace and security,” he said.

Similarly, the Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, Raphael Opawoye, said the association was not officially aware of the ban. “We are yet to be informed of this decision. Once we receive official communication, CAN will issue a statement,” he noted.

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An Islamic scholar, Ustaz Hassan, also weighed in, stressing that such a law must pass through the State House of Assembly for proper legislative approval.

On his part, a Minna-based journalist and Islamic scholar, Uthman Siraja, condemned the directive, describing it as a violation of religious freedom.

“The ban infringes on the right to freedom of worship. What the government should do instead is summon and penalise only those preachers whose sermons incite the public,” Siraja argued.